The other side of Italy

South Tyrol
The other side of Italy
South Tyrol
The other side of Italy
“In the Southern Tyrol, the weather cleared up,
the sun of Italy made itself felt; even at a distance the
hills became warmer and brighter, I saw vines rising on
them, and I could now often lean out of the carriage
windows.”
from: Heinrich Heine, Travel Pictures II, Chapter XIII (1828-1832)
Local colour
page 20
Chapter 1 Mountains
Sheer brashness
Chapter 4 Eminences
page 23
A class of their own
page 67
Dolomites: The Pale Mountains
24
Ötzi: The man from the glacier
68
Myths and Legends: Absolutely fabulous
27
Haflinger: South Tyrol’s equine blondes
69
29
Castles: Tyrol of yore
72
32
Romanesque frescoes: Heaven on earth
74
Perspectives: Sweeping vistas
33
Mountain lifts: Electrical alpenglow
75
Water: Crystal clear
34
Matteo Thun: The consummate designer
76
KingLaurin:Theroseshavebetrayedme
Mining: In the bowels of the mountain
Chapter 2 Joie de vivre
Harmony at the frontiers
Chapter 5 Tradition
page 37
The art of self-preservation
page 79
Autonomy: Bad times, good times
38
Alpine farming women: Farming women’s proclamation
Mediterranean joie de vivre and Alpine staidness:
39
Customs and traditions: Witching hours
81
Tradition: Red hat band, green hat band
82
86
Three perspectives and one fulcrum
Extractfrom:JosephZoderer,‘DieWalsche’(TheforeignItalianGirl)
80
42
Geraniums: The fire in the bay window
Ladins: é pa mé da dì – I just want to say
44
Dialect: As spoken by South Tyroleans
87
45
Handicrafts: Skill and dexterity
88
Knödel and Spaghetti: Alpine simplicity and Mediterranean refinement 48
Commentary:TheHoleyLand
90
Provincial capital: Bolzano/Bozen
Knödel and Speck: Poor man’s food
94
RutBernardi“laiepadar”(That’slaughable)
49
Chapter 3 Landscape
Rural scene
Chapter 6 A new dawn
page 51
A new dawn
page 97
Wine: In the vineyard
52
The towns: Town and village portraits
Recipe: Terlan white wine soup
55
Architecture: The hot tin roof
100
Törggelen: The fifth season
56
Contemporary art: Concept art
102
Gardens and spas: The promenades and the Tappeiner
59
Museums: Showcasing the home country
103
Apples: Golden orbs
60
Messner Mountain Museum: Museum summit
104
‘Waale’ – age-old irrigation channels: The farmer as an engineer
61
Alpine farms: Summer pastures
63
Baths culture: Revitalising rural treatments
64
Information on South Tyrol
98
page 107
For orientation: at the end of the book you will find a map of South Tyrol to help you to find villages, towns, valleys and mountains. Each chapter contains
geographical indications and coordinates under the heading ‘Fact box’ (i.e., Bolzano/Bozen [C4]).
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The Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm against the backdrop of Sassolungo/Langkofel and the Sasso Piatto/Plattkofel: Europe’s vastest expanse of Alpine pastureland is paradise for hikers
8
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Scenic ski runs: Downhill runs, cross-country ski and walking trails, in winter the Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm offers plenty for everybody
10
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Warm bathing lake nestling amid South Tyrol’s vineyards: the lake Lago di Caldaro/Kalterer See to the south of Bolzano/Bozen
12
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South Tyrol’s provincial capital and its vinescape: Bolzano/Bozen
14
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Between heaven and earth: ski slopes, cross-country ski trails, toboggan runs with unimpeded views of mountains ranging in height from 3,000 to 10,000 feet
16
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As far as your feet will take you: South Tyrol’s mountains are connected by 13,000 kilometres of hiking trails
18
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Local colour
Introduction
Gritty – that is a good word to describe South Tyrol/Südtirol.
The region is made of sturdy material, it has structure. Rocks
give it its form, quickly changing varieties of stone from porphyry through marble and granite to Dolomite define the landscape and vegetation. The inhabitants have tilled the land with
their hands to make the cultivated land alternate with stone,
colour and vegetation. Nature and culture intermingle. People
cling to tradition and custom.
New projects are started. In 1999 Count Michael Goess-Enzenberg decided to extend and modernise his Manincor estate
wine cellars near Caldaro/Kaltern, built to designs by Walter
Angonese, Rainer Köberl and Silvia Boday. Landscape, history
and functionality all play a central role in the planning, for it
is built by expanding the original edifice. The South Tyrolean
artist Manfred Alois Mayr entered the building site at the intersection of the old and new. The painter said he would find
the colours himself. At Manincor he removed layers of colour,
searched for traces of hues from the history of the wine estate,
20
from the tradition of winegrowing in South Tyrol, documented
the building process. Then he presented his colour concept.
He wanted to spray a giant wall dividing the old from the new
building with Bordeaux mixture – turquoise. His was given the
go-ahead. What is more: the counts were enthusiastic. Bordeaux mixture – copper sulphate and dehydrated lime – was
the first fungicide to be used in vineyards and today the old
walls in wine estates are still tinged with blue from bluestone.
The Enzenberg family owned the copper mine in the Val Aurina/Ahrntal Valley and until it closed in 1893 it supplied Bordeaux mixture to winegrowers in all South Tyrol.
An example of how history, tradition, progress are intertwined.
Manincor is a South Tyrolean example par excellence, though
there are others. They constitute a current of thought and
ideas in contemporary culture: South Tyrol is seen as a modern
region able to develop its own unmistakable image from its
past. “I transport stories/histories with colour”, says the artist
Manfred Alois Mayr. These stories relate tales of nature, the
soil, poverty, of the omnipresence of the Church and the pride
of a people who have defied emperors, soldiers and dictators
and who, to a large extent, now determine their own way autonomously. The houses were whitewashed, brightly-coloured
costumes were only worn on Sundays, the fascists wore black,
their party buildings were Pompeian red.
Farmers’ aprons are blue in South Tyrol. Aprons. Boys were
given their apron on their first day at school. It was said that a
man without his apron is only half dressed. In 1997 the farmers in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley were given a new fruit cooperative. The style of the architect Arnold Gapp was alien to
the farmers. Manfred Alois Mayr was once again consulted. He
painted a part of the building lapis lazuli blue. At last – painted
the colour of their aprons - the building had a proper face for
the farmers. They recognized their work in the colour. Suddenly contemporary architecture was comprehensible.
Local colour | 21
South Tyrol’s tallest ‘skyscraper’: ‘King Ortles’ in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley
22
Chapter 1 Mountains
Sheer brashness
In South Tyrol all perspectives emanate from the mountains. It was the townsfolk who
first climbed the summits and open up unimagined perspectives to the mountain folk.
Nobody knew what it was like on the Ortles/Ortler mountain
until 1804. In that year the chamois hunter Josef Pichler from
the Val Passiria/Passeiertal Valley became the first to climb the
summit. He managed to stay there for four minutes. It was icy.
He climbed it again in 1805, this time he waved a flag and everybody believed him: the Ortles, almost four thousand metres
– or over thirteen thousand feet – high, the tallest mountain in
all Tyrol had been conquered. To celebrate the triumph a pyramid of rocks was built rather than a summit cross.
The mountain folk in southern Tyrol were not particularly
elated at this. Until well into the 19th century many people
regarded mountaineering as the height of brashness. What
was the point? Was there even air to breathe up there? Before
1786 no farmer had ever climbed a summit. Even on the Alpine
pastures and passes they believed they had come too close to
Heaven and erected crosses as a sign of repentance. In South
Tyrol there seemed to be a point in excavating tunnels into
the mountains to extract silver, copper, marble, but who other
than a good-for-nothing would venture up there into the barren world of rock. Either God or the Devil inhabited the mountain. No one knew for sure.
From this perspective South Tyrol is a veritable paradise for
such good-for-nothings. By far the greater part of South Tyrol’s
terrain lies above the 3,400 foot elevation line and only three
per cent of the region is settled. The remainder consists of
fields, forest, Alpine pastures and rock. South Tyrol boasts
more than 300 ‘three-thousanders’ (summits exceeding 3,000
metres or 9,843 ft). All perspectives emanate from the mountains. Prospects and vistas. Everything is immediate in South
Tyrol, summit and valley, narrow boundaries and vastness. The
world-famous climber Reinhold Messner hadn’t even started
school when, in his village in the Val di Funes/Villnösstal Valley,
he stood beneath the Le Odle/Geisler-Spitzen pinnacles and
wanted to find out where they finished. The extreme climber
Hans Kammerlander was likewise curious. He climbed his first
summit by secretly following two tourists up to the MoosStock summit in the Valli di Tures & Aurina/Tauferer Ahrntal
Valley.
Townspeople were the first to develop a passion for the mountains 200 years ago. They strove for the summits, guided by
rural youths. An unlikely rope team resulted: the tourist had
the summit in his sights, while the guide was on the lookout
for crystals and chamois. One made the summit famous, the
other depended on the mountain for his livelihood. In this way
people lost their dread of the mountains. All peaks have been
climbed and named and entered on maps with indications
of their elevations, climbing routes and refuges. People have
long realised that mountains did not open their way across the
earth’s surface like teeth. South Tyrol’s most famous mountains, the Dolomites – officially granted a UNESCO World Natural Heritage status in 2009 – even rise as fossilised coral reefs
formed at the bottom of an ancient sea. Today everybody can
access and experience the mountains in all their facets in safety thanks to walking trails and lift systems. Mountains which
once struck awe into beholders are now perceived as beautiful. They have become objects of wonder as well as leisure and
recreational destinations and must be protected. Vast areas
of natural and man-made landscapes have been placed under
protection in eight nature reserves and the Parco Nazionale
dello Stelvio/Stilfserjoch National Park.
South Tyrol’s highest mountain, the Ortles finally received a
summit cross in 1954. The stone pillar which was initially intended to crown the summit lay packed in crates for years beside the road down in the valley. In 1899 it was erected on the
Passo Stelvio, the pass which connects South Tyrol with Lombardy, though no longer as a sign of the mountain having been
conquered, but as a monument to the emperor in Vienna.
Mountains | 23
The Dolomites
The ‘Pale Mountains’
The architect Le Corbusier described the Dolomites as the
world’s finest example of architecture. In fact the Dolomites
really were ‘built’. They are mountains formed of fossilised algae and coral reefs. They grew for 250 million years at the bottom of the warm Tethys sea, forced skyward as tectonic plates
crashed, finally to stand white and majestically as the ‘pale
mountains’, weird and different to the surrounding mountains.
In 1788 scientists discovered why: the mountains were formed
of limestone containing magnesium. They were named the Dolomites after the French geologist Deodat de Dolomieu. They
became immediately popular, their sagas famous, the crenellated Tre Cime di Lavaredo/Drei Zinnen (The Three Peaks)
found their way onto postcards and sent around the world,
while the famous actor Luis Trenker from Val Gardena/Gröden
Valley immortalised the Sassolungo/Langkofel summit in his
mountain films. The Dolomite valleys have been settled since
the Iron Age. Rhaetians, Romans, Lombardi all left their marks,
and in the First World War the front line between the Austrian
and Italian armies ran across these mountains. The valleys are
inhabited by the Ladin people, the oldest settlers in the Dolomites who make up South Tyrol’s third linguistic group.
Fact box:
» Four of South Tyrol’s eight nature reserves are situated in the Dolomites.
www.provincia.bz.it/parchi.naturali
» There are 80 secured climbing routes in South Tyrol, the first of which
were built during the First World War along the Dolomite and Ortles
fronts. 14 Alpine schools offer climbing tours in complete safety.
www.guidealpine-altoadige.it
24
Unesco Natural World Heritage Site: the Dolomites with the Tre Cime di Lavaredo/Drei Zinnen
Mountains | 25
King Laurin or the evening sun: which makes the Catinaccio/Rosengarten glow?
26
Myths and fables
Absolutely fabulous
Nature is in command in the mountains. When she is angry life
is terrifying, anyone who tries to oppose her is either a hero
or must perish or be punished with perdition. Before science
began to explain natural phenomena everyday life was dominated by mysterious powers, by spirits which turned the milk
sour, by wild men who challenged the gods, by witches who
celebrated Walpurgis nights on the Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm
alpine pasture. These characters feature in countless legends.
The same stories were told and embellished over again on long
winter evenings. Even today people’s imaginations run riot at
scenic points or at the sight of rock formations which have given rise to fables. The heart of the great realm of magic lies in
the long-secluded Dolomite valleys. For example the pinnacles
of the Latemar are enchanted dolls, and it is the curse of the
dwarf king Laurin rather than the evening sun which causes
the Catinaccio/Rosengarten massif to glow at twilight.
Fact box:
» South Tyrol’s stories can be read at www.suedtirol.info/sagas
» On the trail of fables: South Tyrol’s mountains are linked by 13,000
kilometres of hiking trails amid unspoilt nature, five times the distance
from Bolzano to London and back. Alone 300 meander around the Alpe
di Siusi/Seiser Alm [D/E 5], Europe’s vastest expanse of Alpine pastureland. The valleys boast 600 kilometres of paved cycle pathways.
www.suedtirol.info/trekking_en
Mountains | 27
“The
roses
have betrayed
me”
28
Fable: King Laurin’s Rose Garden
as told by Martin Bertagnolli
Once-upon-a-time a dwarf king called Laurin lived inside the
Catinaccio/Rosengarten mountainmassif. He owned immense
riches. Above all he had a magic hood which could make him
invisible. There was a magnificent garden in front of the gateway to his bastion of rock, where myriads of roses were in
flower all year round, enclosed by a golden thread of silk. Woe
betide anybody who dared pick even one rose!
One day he caught sight of the stunningly beautiful princess
Simhild in a neighbouring castle. He fell in love with her and
snatched her away. From then on Simhild was forced to live
in Laurin’s kingdom, and there was nothing but sorrow at the
castle of her brother, Dietleib. While he was searching for his
sister Dietlieb came across the king of the Goths, Dietrich von
Bern. With him and other knights he made his way to Laurin’s
kingdom.
Dietrich marvelled at the magnificence of the roses fenced
round by a thread of gold, though his men broke it and trampled on the flowers. Beside himself with rage, Laurin came
charging at them on his small white steed. It came to an unequal fight. However, once the knights had pulled off his magic
hood Laurin fell to the ground helpless and shouted incensed:
“The roses have betrayed me!” Left with no option he led the
victors into his fortress where they freed Simhild.
Laurin uttered a curse on the rose garden and its beauty was
extinguished for ever. He pronounced that nobody, neither by
night nor by day, should ever again cast his eyes on the rose
garden’s magical splendour. But he forgot to include the twilight. And that is why the mountain which is pale during the
day still lights up and glows red as the sun sets.
Mountains | 29
In the heart of the Dolomites Nature Reserve: the weird pinnacles of the Odles/Geisler-Spitzen in the Val di Funes/Villnösstal Valley
30
Mountains�����
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Mountain mines
In the bowels of the mountain
Dark galleries and the glow from the mine lamp characterised
the life of miners. For centuries they travelled deep into the
bowels of South Tyrol’s mountains to extract copper, lead,
zinc and silver. Above ground the miners’ villages developed
their own way of life. In its heyday Europe’s highest mine at
an elevation beyond 6,600 feet on the Monte Neve/Schneeberg mountain employed up to 1,000 men. Today this nether
world on the Schneeberg Monte Neve in the Ridanna/Ridnaun
and Val Passiria/Passeiertal Valley, the silver mine at Villandro/
Villanders in the Valle Isarco/Eisacktal Valley and the mining
museum at Predoi/Prettau in the Valle Aurina/Ahrntal Valley
can all be explored in complete safety wearing a hard hat and
head lamp. There is even a cavern deep inside the former Predoi copper mine which provides hay-fever sufferers and others with a place to breathe allergen and pollen-free air. The
main street of Lasa/Laas in the Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley
is paved white. Lasa marble is still extracted there. It is held to
be the world’s most weather resistant white marble, testified
to by the numerous monuments hewn out of this precious rock
so beloved by the Habsburgs, in New York, London, Berlin and
Vienna.
Fact box:
» South Tyrolean mountain mining museum [D2+G1], www.museominiere.it
» Silver mine at Villandro/Villanders [D4], www.bergwerk.it
» Lasa/Laas Marble [A3], www.comune.lasa.bz.it
32
Craving for the mountains: tank up on energy at dizzy heights
Perspectives
Sweeping vistas
In the valley one’s view is drawn upwards by the mountains.
High up between the sky and the earth the view is sweeping.
From the summit of South Tyrol’s no. 1 ski mountain, the Plan
de Corones/Kronplatz, the winter views range through 360 degrees and makes every ski aficionado’s heart beat faster. From
the beginning of December to mid April winter sports enthusiasts can savour a spectrum of mountain perspectives from
3,300 to 10,000 feet elevation while out downhill and crosscountry skiing, tobogganing, snowshoeing, snowboarding and
on horse-drawn sleigh rides. The dramatic interplay between
the elements expressed by clouds is almost worthy of an Oscar when seen from the Rotsteinkogel summit (4,806 ft) near
the mountain village of Verano/Vöran, located between Bolzano/Bozen and Merano/Meran high above the Val d’Adige/
Etschtal Valley. The artist Franz Messner has set up his open
air ‘Knottnkino’ or ‘Rock Cinema’ here with 40 seats secured
to the rocks: until sunset films are ‘projected’ here featuring
everything the weather has to offer, against a sweeping backdrop ranging from the Ortles massif across to the Dolomites.
Fact box:
» South Tyrol boasts 30 ski resorts. With a total of 1,200 kilometres of
downhill runs the Dolomiti SuperSki association comprises the world’s
largest inter-connected ski area. The Sella Ronda [F6] circuit leads
skiers across four Dolomite passes around the Sella Massif and in summer becomes a challenging circular mountain bike trail. The Ortler Ski
Arena comprises 15 resorts. The Val Senales/Schnalstal glacier resort
[B 2/3] near Merano is open almost throughout the year.
www.suedtirol.info/winter_en
» Each year two Dolomite runs host World Cup ski races: the ‘Saslong’
run in Val Gardena/Gröden Valley, www.saslong.org and the giant
slalom ‘Granrisa’ run in Alta Badia, www.skiworldcup.it.
» The Anterselva/Antholz Valley [G2] is the venue for the annual crosscountry skiing Biathlon World Cup, www.biathlon-antholz.it. Info for
cross-country skiers in South Tyrol at www.suedtirol.info/winter_en
» Tyrol’s very first mountain refuge was built on the Ortles [A2] – at
the time Austria’s tallest mountain – in 1805. Today 92 Alpine refuges
provide hikers and mountaineers with victuals and accommodation; the
most spectacular huts include the Becherhaus (10,482 ft/3,195m), the
Müllerhütte (10,318 ft/3,145m) and the Payerhütte (9,908 ft/3,020m).
All refuges at www.suedtirol.info
Mountains | 33
Water
Crystal clear
In the beginning water was the landscape designer, humans
were at its mercy. Thousands of streams and rivulets in South
Tyrol wind down or thunder from mountain to valley. Water
trickles from the fountain in every village square. Hundreds of
sparkling mountain lakes are catchment basins for snowmelt
water. The greater part of South Tyrol’s electricity is hydroelectric generated. Drinking water arrives from the spring to
the tap in just a few hours without additives or preservatives.
30 mineral springs are recognised. Their water has been used
since time immemorial for rural and curative baths, or is bottled and sold. The numerous waterfalls are enveloped by a hissing chill, for example in the Gilfenklamm ravine near Vipiteno/
Sterzing, Europe’s only marble gorge; the waterfalls on the
Rein stream near Campo Tures/Sand in Taufers; or the waterfall at Parcines/Partschins which in spring thunders 318 feet to
valley, one of Europe’s tallest. In the Venosta/Vinschgau Valley,
water courses flow in a more orderly manner: centuries ago
farmers dug an intricate system of irrigation channels called
Waale which are now popular as pretty walking trails.
Fact box:
» Walking recommendations to lakes, waterfalls and beside Waale at
www.suedtirol.info/trekking_en
» The Lago di Caldaro/Kalterersee Lake [B5] to the south of Bolzano/
Bozen is the warmest bathing lake in the Alps. Information on bathing
lakes at www.suedtirol.info/swimming
» More on water and mineral springs at www.provincia.bz.it/acqua
34
Water in ordered courses: Ancient irrigation channels or ‘Waalen’ bring water to fields in the Val Venosta/Vinschgau region
Mountains | 35
German and Italian: in South Tyrol culture is the attitude to life
36
Chapter 2 Joie de vivre
Harmony at the frontiers
Three intertwined languages and customs, histories which begin to resemble each other.
German, Italian and Ladin people live together in South Tyrol. Alpine and Mediterranean
lifestyles have learnt to get along.
When South Tyroleans use the word ‘we’ the meaning could
be a little complicated. In South Tyrol history has brought together three cultural spheres. How do we belong together?
The South Tyrolean journalist Claus Gatterer (1924-1984) devoted considerable space to this question in his novel ‘Beautiful world, wicked people’: “‘We’ – they were the people in
the valley, ‘our’ people”. In the village of Sesto/Sexten of the
1920s which Gatterer describes, they were all those who were
German, that is, all Tyroleans, as well as Ladin and Italian people who had long been inhabitants of the valley, just as much
as the scissor grinders and pot menders. However there was
another ‘We’, the official ‘We’, actually ‘Noi’ – we, the Italians
as desired by the Italian state. Claus Gatterer: “They were we,
at the time. A bewildering human landscape, a reflection of a
muddled time.”
South Tyrol’s modern history begins in 1919 when the area to
the south of the Passo Brennero/Brenner Pass was taken away
from the Austrian Tyrol and annexed by Italy. The new frontier
parted the ways of a region which had belonged to Austria for
five centuries.
The alpine region has always been a frontier. From the Roman
perspective the north lay beyond Tyrol, while for the Holy Roman Emperors who travelled to Rome to be crowned by the
pope, the south lay beyond the Brennero. This ‘Land im Gebirge’ or ‘Land in the Mountains’, to use Tyrol’s traditional
name, was assured a permanent central position in Europe’s
power structure by means of two Alpine passes. Merchants,
pilgrims, princes with their retinues, adventurers and soldiers
passed through Tyrol, paid tolls and customs duties, availed
themselves of accommodation and the assurance of safe
conduct. European politicians did much to garner Tyrol’s favour,
while jumping at every opportunity to conquer the region.
Tyrol was first mentioned in 1271, then in 1330 the houses of
Wittelsbach, Habsburg and Luxemburg contended for the
hand in marriage of the heiress Margarete of Tyrol. The powerful made concessions resulting in the granting of Tyrol’s own
Magna Carta or Bill of Rights, the ‘Freiheitsbrief’ of 1242. When
Tyrol passed to Habsburg rule the Tyroleans were even exempted from military duty on condition that they took charge
of their own defence of the province stretching from Kufstein
on the Bavarian border to Lake Garda. Tyrol was proud of its
special status. As soon as any ruler tried to impinge on their
rights the Tyroleans fell back on the old documents. In this
frontier region – which Tyrol had been throughout history
from a linguistic, cultural and political perspective – every tiny
curtailing of liberty was quickly noted and acted upon.
The South Tyroleans were not prepared for the events of the
20th century. The fascist Italianisation policy stifled any aspirations towards cultural and political independence. South
Tyrol’s struggle for autonomous status was long and hard, but
now people belonging to the German, Italian and Ladin ethnic
groups live together speaking their own respective languages
and cultivating their own cultures. As often happens, people
found common ground first of all in the kitchen. Tyrolean
housewives tried pasta and minestrone; their Italian counterparts developed a liking for ‘Speck’ and ‘Knödel’. A new attitude towards life, a new ‘we’ life developed starting with the
steam emerging from the cooking pots and grew steadily. This
region at the frontier has once again attained a special status.
Joie de vivre | 37
Autonomy
Bad times, good times
South Tyrol became part of Italy in 1919. As part of the secret
treaty of London drawn up in 1915 the future victors of the First
World War had promised the Italian delegation a state border
at Brennero to entice them into the war on their side. Once
the fascists gained power in 1922 they embarked on a harsh
programme of Italianising South Tyrol. Anything which sounded German was forbidden. This culminated in the 1939 agreement between Hitler and Mussolini to resettle South Tyrol’s
population in the German Reich. South Tyroleans were faced
with an option, either to become completely Italian, renouncing their language and customs, or to emigrate. Nazi propaganda proved effective: 85 percent of German-speaking South
Tyroleans opted for the Reich, which by then included Austria.
The exit from South Tyrol slowed down after the outbreak
of war. After the Second World War the Brennero was once
again proclaimed the national border. Protracted negotiations
towards achieving autonomous status began, resulting in a
second autonomy statute in 1972. It took further 20 years for
South Tyrol to obtain complete jurisdiction over all the areas
established in the statute. Today South Tyrol’s autonomous status is regarded worldwide as a model for minorities.
“Grüss Gott” and “Buona Sera”: both ethnic groups come together for an aperitif
Fact box:
» 480,000 people live in South Tyrol and there are three official languages: 70 percent of the population speak German as their mother
language, 26 percent speak Italian and four percent Ladin. Five per cent
of South Tyrol’s population are foreign citizens.
» More detailed information on South Tyrol’s history at
www.suedtirol.info/history
38
Mediterranean joie de vivre and Alpine staidness
Three perspectives and one fulcrum
Landscapes shape people. People shape their environment. In
South Tyrol people and the countryside merge seamlessly. At
one moment people behave in an Alpine down-to-earth manner, the next in an easy-going, carefree Mediterranean way.
South Tyrol is characterised by an atmosphere which is difficult to pinpoint, German and Italian headlines at the newsagent’s, a ‘Grüss Gott’ when one had expected ‘Buon giorno’,
an interplay of atmospheres established for example by taking
a macchiato at 10am, an aperitif after work, a game of cards
at the regulars’ table in the pub. Germans, Italians and Ladins
all have their own histories and memories. As time went by
the walls became more leaky, habits and customs became intertwined, histories began to resemble each other, even the
languages became enlaced. This subject was taken up in literature. Joseph Zoderer wrote two great novels based on German-Italian love relationships which focused on the balancing
act between personal affection and collective conformity.
Gianni Bianco wrote the first South Tyrolean novel from an
Italian perspective.
Joie de vivre | 39
Può bastare una parola per entrare in un mondo. Chissà quante volte, al supermercato, ci si è trovati davanti a uno yogurt
della Mila, la più grande cooperativa lattiera dell’Alto Adige/
Südtirol.
Ma quando si scopre che quel nome non è nato a caso, perché è
formato dalle iniziali della parola “latte” in tedesco e in italiano,
si piomba nel vivo della realtà altoatesina. Una terra a cavallo
tra due nazioni, Austria e Italia. Un luogo dove si parlano due
lingue, anzi tre: perché tra queste montagne vive anche una
piccola, ma fiera, comunità ladina. Settemila e 400 chilometri
quadrati che si estendono dalle Alpi al fondovalle dell’Adige,
dove le diversità culturali sono nette, ma nella vita quotidiana
si mischiano spesso.
E sin dai tempi antichi. Nel Medioevo le merci tedesche e quelle italiane si fronteggiavano sotto i portici di Bolzano, ognuna
dalla propria parte, perché questo territorio è stato sempre
crocevia di scambi e passaggi tra Nord e Sud.
Lo scrittore meranese Joseph Zoderer, che pubblica in tedesco
e in italiano, dice che si sente nato “tra la neve e le palme. I
piedi nell’Adriatico, dietro la schiena una catena di montagne”.
E chiunque arrivi qui si accorge subito che anche nel maso della valle più sperduta troverà sia canederli che tagliatelle, burro
di malga ma anche olio e pomodori. Una terra, l’Alto Adige/
German-ItalianconversationinEgna/Neumarkt:sportfromthe‘Gazetta’,localnewsfromthe‘Dolomiten’
40
Südtirol, dove vivono tre comunità diverse, ma indissolubilmente legate dalla Storia e soprattutto dal territorio. Che qui
tutti amano visceralmente, e lo si può capire: già solo passeggiando per Bolzano, alla vista si impone dappertutto un’incredibile corona di montagne e i vigneti arrivano fino in città.
Irene Meli, giornalista di GEO Italia
Joie de vivre�����
| 41
The foreign Italian girl
Extract from Joseph Zoderer’s ‘Die Walsche’*
Hanser 1982
*from the German ‘Welsch’ meaning foreigner – in this case
The foreign (Italian) girl; the Anglo-Saxon word Welsh to
describe the inhabitants of Wales is identical in origin.
Recently she had had to shout at Silvano: stay at home until he
finally understood. He stayed at home in the Italian neighbourhood which the Germans called Shanghai.
I’m a spineless hussy, she maundered as if reciting a litany,
almost in the rhythm of the rosary, the murmur emanating
from the adjoining room where they had laid out her father,
the teacher. She couldn’t forbid Silvano from coming to her father’s funeral - a solemn occasion for a man from the south, a
matter of course, of respect and reverence, even though her
father had once given the spaghetti Silvano had cooked in the
teacher’s house the wolfhound to eat, placing it on the floor
right here beside the living room table; and even though he
had regarded the Italian as superficial and full of hot air.
She had not treated him like a real person, certainly not like
her beloved, but as a ‘Walscher’ who did not belong here in
this world, the German milieu, as one who would be better
off staying outside; she had elbowed him out, though in reality only pushed him aside; to avoid more trouble she had not
let him in, certainly to spare him harassment. She conformed,
wronged him, she who had apparently not given a damn and
despite the gossip, despite her father’s opposition, had lived as
she liked, namely with Silvano who in the end could never be
turned into a German. And she had not married him, she, now
in her mid 30s.
The burial of her father was expected to signal an end to all
this. And so she had to face the approaching clouds alone, and
to deal alone with the things which had to be dealt with when
somebody dies to live a quiet life. She had come up to this
God-forsaken hamlet at a thousand three-hundred metres elevation alone, far away from high and low tide, out of fear for
what the others thought, to this mountain dump of a place that
her father never managed to get away from, although when he
was younger he often proclaimed: Out into the world, out into
the wide world at all costs.
The place she returned to was not heaven, she knew that well
enough. The people had not changed, they had only become
outwardly friendlier, and even Ploser had pulled down his old
farmstead, house and barn to build a bed-and-breakfast guest
house.
Joie de vivre�����
| 43
Ladins
é pa mé da dì – I just want to say
Ladin is South Tyrol’s third language after German and Italian.
Around 18,000 people speak Ladin in Val Gardena/Gröden Valley and Val Badia/Gadertal Valley. It is the region’s ancient language: when the Romans conquered the Alpine valleys their
language, Vulgar Latin, became superimposed on the Rhaetian
language spoken at the time by the inhabitants of the Alps.
Migrating German tribes pillaged and plundered their way
south, driving the Ladin people deep into the Dolomite valleys
where they preserved their language in seclusion and poverty,
developing a rich culture of legends and handicrafts. The Ladin
people in South Tyrol were at last recognised as an official language group in 1951. Today Ladin is one of Europe’s ‘smallest’
languages. The ‘Museum Ladin’ in Val Badia showcases the history of the Ladin people. Once upon-a-time they lived together
with the marmots and were one with them, accor-ding to a legend which recounts the origins of the Ladin world; generations
of Ladins listened to it on dark winter evenings. The various
strands of Ladin have been drawn together to produce a written language. One of its champions is the woman of letters
from Val Gardena Rut Bernardi: “é pa mé da dì” (it’s for me to
say).
Fact box:
» The Ladin Dolomite valleys embrace the three Italian provinces of South Tyrol, Trento and Belluno. There are five spoken and written dialects,
two in South Tyrol: Maréo/Badiot in Val Badia [F 3-6] and Gherdeina
in Val Gardena [E4-F6]. In total around 30,000 people in the Dolomite
region speak Ladin.
» The Museum Ladin at San Martino in Badia/St. Martin in Thurn [F4]
provides vivid insight into the history and culture of the Ladin people.
www.museumladin.it
44
la ie pa da rì
é pa mé da dì
la ie da tò y jì
n ne sà pa co
fé a dì moa vó
te n di o no
l cë ne va pa mé
a jì do si pe
la ne ie pa da rì
co ne sà no ëi
y no si fi da dì
la ie mé da tò
y de ne dì no:oh
da dì dò
Extract: Rut Bernardi, Das ist doch zum Lachen (What a laugh),
2007 from: Dolomite a summit book, p. 98
It’s laughable
Ijustwanttosay
onejusthastoacceptitandgo
onestilldoesn’tknow
howtohaveitsaidtoyou
onedayorperhapsnot
yourheaddoesn’tfollowyourownfoot
It’snolaughingmatter
ifneitheryounor
yourchildcansayit
onejusthastoacceptit
andcannotrejectit
onehastorepeatit
Joie de vivre | 45
Ortisei in Val Gardena/Gröden Valley is called St. Ulrich in German, Urtijei in Ladin: South Tyrol’s languages, German, Italian and Ladin co-exist most immediately here
46
Joie de vivre�����
| 47
Knödel and spaghetti
Alpine simplicity and Mediterranean refinement
The climate on the southern side of the Alps has always provided a wealth of ingredients historically not available in northern countries, and South Tyrol’s cuisine was influenced by the
Mediterranean diet long before the region became part of
Italy. The region’s cuisine is no longer the rather substantial
fare needed to sustain mountain farmers as they toiled on the
steep slopes, but has evolved in response to modern demand
for elegance and delicacy. Some chefs prefer to specialise in
Tyrolean, Ladin or Mediterranean cuisine, while in many restaurants Italian and local dishes coexist on menus as equals.
Certain ‘poor man’s’ dishes made from leftovers have become
delicacies, even served in Michelin star restaurants, such as
‘Knödel’ dumplings typically made from stale white bread, now
served in myriad variations (i.e., plain, speck, beetroot, cheese,
ricotta, spinach ‘Knödel’). South Tyrol’s identity question is resolved, at least at the dinner table.
Identity in the kitchen: a mixture of Italian, Ladin and Tyrolean fare
Fact box:
» Each year more and more Michelin stars are showered on South
Tyrol’s restaurants – 15 stars in 2009. Alone in Alta Badia [F 3-6] three
restaurants sport Michelin stars, Hubertus at San Cassiano/St. Kassian
is distinguished with two, while even the tiny village of Vandoies di
Sopra/Obervintl [E2] in the Val Pusteria/Pustertal Valley boasts two
Michelin-star restaurants.
» Further information of South Tyrol’s gastronomy and recommendations
at www.suedtirol.info/recipes
48
Provincial capital
Bolzano/Bozen
A question of style: both German
and Italian masters worked on
Bolzano/Bozen’s Gothic cathedral
South Tyrol’s provincial capital, Bolzano, is the place where the
German and Italian languages and cultures coexist most closely. This is reflected in the town’s architecture. A century ago
Bolzano, an old trading town with its arcaded walkways from
the late Middle Ages, its building facades strongly inspired
by northern Europe but with southern influences, was almost
entirely limited to the eastern side of the River Talvera/Talfer,
across the river there were just fields and orchards. From 1922
Bolzano was redesigned, the fascists wanted to use the town
as a bridgehead to conquer South Tyrol. The ‘Città nuova’ or
new town to be built on the western side of the River Talfer
was designed in a new, ‘rationalistic’ style of architecture
aimed at symbolising modern Italy. The regime’s star architects, including Marcello Piacentini worked on the project. As
a result the new part of the town is characterised by an almost
complete ensemble of fascist ‘power architecture’ unique in
Italy. Here an Italian aura envelops everything in contrast with
the town’s historical centre: the bars, pubs, shops and the attitude towards life. Politically the new streets were an affront,
though kept in perspective they froze the history of a town
and its region and embellished little Bolzano with an element
of modern urbanity. The best view of the town’s two faces is
provided by the newly built Museion, the Museum for Modern
and Contemporary Art against the breathtaking backdrop of
the nearby Dolomite mountains.
Fact box:
» South Tyrol’s provincial capital, Bolzano [C4] has 100,000 inhabitants,
73 per cent of whom belong to the Italian ethnic group, 26 per cent are
German and 0.7 per cent Ladin. 30 per cent of all foreigners in South
Tyrol live in Bolzano. Information on history, sights and events at
www.bolzano-bozen.it
Joie de vivre | 49
Merano/Meran’s Jugendstil or Art nouveau style Kurhaus: a cornucopia of nature with palm trees and glacier ice
50
Chapter 3 Landscape
Rural scene
There was a time when this region was terribly beautiful. Terribly because travelling downhill from the Passo Brennero/Brenner Pass the rocks came closer and closer to the road, there
were constant landslides and travellers encountered “a bleeding Saviour every quarter of an hour”, as Louise von Göchhausen wrote in her Journey to the South in 1788. Beautiful
because the same rocks evoked grandiose sensations. Terror
prevailed long. Who could live there? The Medici duke Cosimo
III only just survived a rock fall. Goethe rode through the night
at haste from Brenner towards the south on his ‘Italian Journey’. Only when he was south of Bolzano/Bozen he observed:
“Everything which tries to vegetate in the higher mountains
has more strength and vitality, the sun shines hot, and one
comes to believe in a God once again.” Nature is under control,
we can once again walk the earth in safety.
This region rises skyward almost everywhere. The landscape
embraces the whole gamut of vegetation, from the sub-Mediterranean to arctic tundra. A single view takes in palm trees
and glacier ice. Alpine ruggedness yields to smooth contours.
The Alps protect South Tyrol from the northern winds and the
air is immediately milder, the light more brilliant, not a great
feat with 300 sunny days per year; the south is close and palpable. Vines climb the slopes overlooking the Adige/Etsch and
Isarco/Eisack Rivers, accompanied by apricot, apple and pear
trees, interspersed with almond, cypress and fig trees. Asparagus is in season in spring, chestnuts in autumn.
South Tyrol’s landscape is a mosaic rich in contrast. Each piece
of earth has been wrested from nature, the geology and climate change in the tiniest areas, often from vineyard to vine-
yard, farmstead to farmstead. In the Valle Isarco/Eisacktal and
the Val Venosta/Vinschgau valleys fruit and grapes are grown
at elevations reaching 3,300 feet, in Italy’s northernmost winegrowing areas vineyards reach into distinctly Alpine scenery
with drastic differences between day and night time temperatures, yielding wines which are among Europe’s most aromatic
with vibrant acidity. Above 1,000 metres elevation (3,281 ft)
the main activities are arable and livestock farming. In early
summer animals and their herdsmen set off for the high pastures. Townspeople have been leaving for medium altitudes to
escape the summer heat for centuries, farmers extend their
pastures to well beyond the tree line. The grass is better there,
life more frugal. Terrible or beautiful?
Around 1800 a new ideal of beauty germinated in Europe’s
well-heeled society. By then mountains were deemed beautiful, fresh air made the body, the lush vegetation, the soul
beautiful. The routes into the valleys had become safer. This
was Merano/Meran’s heyday. According to the 1821 ‘Yearbook
of German Spas’, the town with the mild winter climate had
become a place “where fashion wills you to become healthy”.
Dung heaps and henhouses vanished from the town, in future
the only scents were to be those emanating from the fragrant
promenades. Spa guests’ first assignments were taking walks
and eating grapes; for a time they were even allowed to pick
the grapes themselves. Many wallowed and were awestruck by
the scenery, few conquered the summits. Subsequently travellers came into the region and did not want to continue their
journey south.
Landscape | 51
Wine
In the vineyard
Lagrein, Vernatsch and Gewürztraminer, three grape varieties
which originated in South Tyrol. Each performs well, though
in different conditions: Lagrein loves hot, eroded red porphyry
soils, Gewürztraminer prefers clay while Vernatsch yields best
results on alluvial, gravelly soils. In a region where only a tiny
area can be cultivated and with correspondingly high costs,
wine producers can only survive by producing top quality. At
elevations between 700 and 3,300 feet above sea level the
soil compositions and micro-climates vary enormously; the
only constant is the 300 sunny days per year. The result? 20
different grape varieties yield sinewy Alpine wine with Mediterranean charm. Around two-thirds of the region‘s total wine
production comes from wineries located along the South Tyrolean wine route, the scenic road which meanders from Bolzano/Bozen to the rolling hills of Appiano/Eppan and Caldaro/
Kaltern as far as the province’s southern border, providing
views of historical wine villages and ultra-modern wine estates. This is where the Romans learnt to store wine in wooden
casks, later monasteries in southern Germany founded their
wine estates in southern Tyrol. In South Tyrol grapes grow
where one would least expect: the provincial capital, Bolzano,
is the region’s third largest winegrowing municipality.
Best site: over 20 grape varieties yield Alpine wines with Mediterranean allure
52
Fact box:
» Vineyard area: 5,100 hectares, corresponding to 0.7 % of Italy’s total
area under vines; 98 % of the vineyard area is registered for the production of DOC wines; 20 grape varieties produce 55 % red and 45 % white
wine; average annual production approx. 400,000 hl; six sparkling wine
producers together make around 200,000 bottles per year using the
classic method of secondary fermentation in the bottle; last year 26
South Tyrolean wines were awarded the highest accolade, ‘Tre Bicchieri’
by Italy’s top wine guide, ‘Gambero Rosso’. Further information on
South Tyrol’s wines available at www.vinialtoadige.com
» Three monasteries in South Tyrol make wines from their own estates,
each with its own specialities: Muri Gries at Bolzano [C4] specialised
in red wines, www.muri-gries.com, the Augustinian monastery at Novacella/Neustift [D3] near Bressanone/Brixen specialised in white wines,
www.kloster-neustift.it, the monastery cellars of Pircher at Lana [B4]
specialised in distilling superb brandies, www.pircher.it.
» The Bolzano Wine Tasting/Bozner Weinkost is the most important
event showcasing South Tyrol’s wines, www.weinkost.it. The international Meran/o WineFestival&Gourmet event showcases European wines
in general, www.meranowinefestival.com.
» South Tyrolean marc brandies are made exclusively from South Tyrolean grape skins www.suedtirol.info/grappa_en
Landscape�����
| 53
“Thetypicalredwineislightlyearthyinitsearthlynature,manly
incharacter,austeretorough-hewn,likeastronglabourer’shand.
A Vernatsch wine such as Kalterer See always remains a youth
withadownybeard,whileLagreinisbornwithhairalreadyon
itschest.”
Klaus Platter, winemaker and director of the provincial estate
of Laimburg, has discovered human traits in wine.
Designer label signed by the artist: Paul Flora’s ‘Gschleier’ Vernatsch wine label for the Girlan winegrowers’ co-operative
54
Recipe: Terlan white wine soup
½ l meat consume
4 egg yolks
50 ml cream
¼ l Pinot Blanc from Terlano/Terlan
croutons made from a stale white bread
roll, crust removed
1 tbs. butter
ground cinnamon, freshly grated nutmeg, salt
Sauté the croutons in butter until golden and sprinkle with cinnamon. Pour the meat stock and wine into a saucepan. Beat
the egg yolks with the cream and add to the soup. Heat the
mixture over a low flame and continue stirring until it becomes
creamy. Season with salt and a little nutmeg and cinnamon.
Pour into soup bowls and serve garnished with croutons and a
pinch of nutmeg and cinnamon.
Landscape�����
| 55
Törggelen
The fifth season
It is autumn, the grapes have been picked and crushed. According to legend this is the time when dwarfs, the ‘WeinNörggelen’, come down from the mountains, drink the new
wine and even steal it. Their thirst for the new wine knows no
bounds and while the dwarfs go about wine filching, the humans go ‘törggelen’. The name of this South Tyrolean custom
derives from the Latin word for wine press, ‘torculum’, which
passed into South Tyrolean as ‘Torggl’. ‘Törggelen’ is thought
to have begun in the Valle Isarco/Eisacktal Valley: winegrowers
sent their livestock to the high pastures in the care of mountain farmers, who were regaled with farmhouse fare and new
wine on their return in autumn. Or perhaps the farmers simply
celebrated a successful harvest, met to taste and compare each
other’s new wine. In its modern form Törggelen begins with a
bracing walk up to a farmhouse tavern called a ‘Buschenschank’
and ends with savouring local fare and new wine or grape juice
along with roast chestnuts in jolly company. The main course
used to be Speck and ‘Kaminwurzen’ (smoked sausages) while
today guests can choose from the entire range of South Tyrolean rural dishes: barley soup, boiled bacon, boiled sausage,
sauerkraut and ‘knödel’ dumplings; and for dessert, sweet
‘krapfen’ – deep-fried pastry parcels filled with jam.
Fact box:
» Chestnuts play an important role in Törggelen. Chestnut trees have
been cared for since the Middle Ages; they were often handed down as
an inheritance and were regarded as a farmer’s old age pension. There
are Chestnut Trails at Lana [B4] between Bolzano and Merano/Meran
and in the Valle Isarco Valley [B 3/4] where plenty of information on
chestnuts can be obtained. More on Törggelen at
www.suedtirol.info/toerggelen_en
» A Buschenschank is a rural tavern, often open seasonally. Traditionally
it is identified by a bunch of juniper branches hanging over the front
door. It is taken down when the season is over and the homemade
wine is sold out www.redrooster.it.
56
Flame-roasted: chestnuts, called ‘Keschtn’ locally, are just as much a part of Törggelen as sweet fresh grape juice
Landscape | 57
80 cultivated landscapes from all over the world and a museum in the castle: the gardens of Trauttmansdorff castle at Merano/Meran
58
Gardens and spas
The promenades and the Tappeiner path
Not hot, not searing, the air in Merano/Meran is just right
for well-born sallow consumptives. The physician who first
scientifically studied this phenomenon was a personal doctor and was consequently genuinely interested in his patient.
Empress Elisabeth of Austria followed in the wake of Princess
Schwarzenberg in savouring Merano’s salubrious climate, followed by prominent guests including Schnitzler, Rilke, Kafka
to mention just a few. By 1900 Merano had become a noble
international spa resort. The riverside area where Merano’s
washerwomen bleached linen has given way to the famous
spa promenade – one promenade for the winter, another for
the summer. The Tappeiner path leads up along the side of the
Monte di Merano/Küchelberg mountain overlooking the town,
one of Europe’s longest promenades known among the townspeople as ‘The Tappeiner’. Similar pathways were built in Bolzano/Bozen. Walks in the open air were prescribed to guests,
who took walks at the foot of the glaciers beneath blossoming winter magnolias, palms, cactuses, olive trees, drank sour
whey in Merano or ate ‘curative’ grapes, up to three kilos per
day. Today Merano is still a combination of air, landscape, architecture. Plants from all over the world thrive in the botanical gardens of Trauttmansdorff Castle. A nostalgic walking trail
called the Sissiweg leads from there into the town as far as the
new thermal baths, the Terme Merano. Take a little ‘me time’
and the atmosphere of the Belle Époque returns immediately.
Fact box:
» Information on Merano/Meran’s [C3] promenades at www.merano.eu
» The gardens on the slopes around Trauttmansdorff Castle were proclaimed Italy’s most beautiful garden in 2005. The Provincial Museum for
the History of Tourism – called the Touriseum is accommodated in the
castle. www.trauttmansdorff.it, www.touriseum.it
» The thermal baths complex ‘Terme Merano’ was designed by the
star architect Matteo Thun. Natural South Tyrolean products such as
grapes, hay and whey are used in treatments in the spa department.
The complex’s own apple cosmetic line is new. Information at
www.termemerano.it
» The labyrinth garden in the Kränzel wine estate at Cermes/Tscherms
[B4] near Merano is ideal for meditation and self-discovery. The maze
comprising vine hedges of ten grape varieties form the heart of the
complex. www.labyrinth.bz
Landscape | 59
Apples
Golden orbs
South Tyrol’s orchards fill the central valleys. Some 40 million
apple trees thrive in the Val d’Adige/Etschtal Valley between
Salorno/Salurn in the south and the Val Venosta/Vinschgau
valley system in the west, and in the Bressanone/Brixen valley basin in the Valle Isarco/Eisacktal Valley. Together these
orchards comprise Europe’s largest self-contained apple
growing area. The warm, sunny climate with 300 sunny days
per year give the apples the appropriate sweetness and colouring, while the chilly nights provide for their fresh aromas,
tangy flavour and crunchy pulp. In all 16 varieties are grown
at altitudes ranging from 700 and 3,300 feet above sea level;
the best known are Golden Delicious, Gala, Red Delicius and
Braeburn. The climate is both the fortune and bane of the fruit
growers: the farmer is on his guard while cyclists and walkers
relish the white splendour of the valley and hillsides ablaze
in blossom against the backdrop of snow-clad mountains, for
frost may strike even in mid May. When it does, overhead irrigation systems are turned on, cocooning the fragile blossoms
in delicate cases of ice, to thaw out unharmed in the morning
sun. Farmers usually sense the weather in advance. Between
mid August and the end of October 900,000 tonnes of apples
are harvested in South Tyrol, corresponding to one tenth of
the entire EU apple crop. Around half of the harvested is exported. Southern Tyrol began exporting fruit as long ago as the
16th century, with express delivery companies transporting the
Alpine-Mediterranean apples to the courts of Austria and Russia.
Fact box:
» Information on apple cultivation and excursions and walks in the applegrowing areas at www.suedtirol.info/apple
» ‘Entirely South Tyrolean Apples’ is the motto of the Terme Merano’s
[C3] cosmetic range, www.termemerano.it
60
16 apple varieties, 40 million apple trees: every tenth European apple comes from South Tyrol
Waale – age-old irrigation channels
The farmer as engineer
South Tyrol’s western valley system, Val Venosta/Vinschgau
valley, lies in the rain shadow of incredibly high summits exceeding 12,000 feet. As a consequence the region is semi-arid
with rainfall levels of around 500 millimetres per year, similar to Sicily. Centuries ago innovative farmers endeavoured
to make their fields fertile by diverting glacier water from
streams in the high mountains through an intricate system of
irrigation channels complete with weirs and sluice gates, some
measuring over 10 kilometres. They are often visible as green
strips across the otherwise steppe-like landscape of the aptly-named Monte Sole/Sonnenberg mountain. The use of the
water is subjected to bylaws overseen by a ‘Waaler’ who traditionally allocates the flow, checks for damage etc. Sheep were
allowed to drink the water for as long as it took the shepherd
to eat his hard ‘Paarl’ bread rolls. The system worked well. Corn
from the Sonnenberg Monte Sole was highly sought-after and
exchanged against wine from Caldaro/Kaltern. Today apple orchards have replaced cornfields and are irrigated using modern
state-of-the-art methods, making the ‘Waale’ redundant. Several are still lovingly maintained and their maintenance pathways provide relaxing walks.
Fact box:
» Information on ‘Waal’ pathways in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley
[A/B 1-3] at www.valvenosta-altoadige.info
» South Tyrol sculpture pathway: the landscape art project at Lana [B4]
near Merano leads beside the Brandis Waal in places and is one of
South Tyrol’s finest walks. www.lana-art.it
» A department of the ‘Vintschger Museum’ at Sluderno/Schluderns [B2]
is dedicated to water, www.ferienregion-obervinschgau.it
Landscape | 61
Beyond the timberline: 95,000 cows, sheep, goats spend their holidays on the high pastures
62
Alpine farms
Summer pastures
Early summer is the time to make the first hay to feed livestock through the winter. To save it, sheep, goats, calves and
numerous cows are driven up to summer pastures called ‘Almen’, often beyond the timberline where they find ample grazing. Their ‘summer holidays’ last three months, during which
herdsmen live a simple life in seclusion. All help with milking
and the Senn, a kind of dairyman, makes butter, cheese, and
cooks. Today the occupants of these picturesque log-built
farmhouses offer hikers a place to rest and savour Alpine fare:
‘Schmarrn’ (shredded pancake), ‘Knödel’ dumplings, ‘Melchermuas’ pudding or Speck with fresh mountain cheese and
crunchy ‘Schüttelbrot’. The use of these summer pastures is
as old as the settlement of the mountain region. Depending
on the area ‘Almen’ belong to individual farmers or are owned
communally. For centuries some 3,000 sheep have been driven
from the Val Senales/Schnalstal Valley across the 9,950 feethigh Hochjochferner glacier to their summer pastures in the
Austrian Vent Valley. Their departure in June and return in
September are truly spectacular events. The trek across snow
fields, rock and ice gullies takes two days. In almost all valleys
the animals are greeted back in autumn with a lavish festival, a
parade of livestock and herders, led by a decorated cow called
the ‘Kranzkuh’. The animals are reclaimed by their owners,
butter and cheese wheels are divided among the farmers, the
hands and herders receive their ‘mountain money’, the Kranzkuh’s garland is hung over the cowshed door.
Fact box:
» South Tyrol’s Alpine pastures are situated above the timberline, where
each year some 95,000 animals spend the summer months. Grazing
protects the landscape from erosion and becoming overgrown, keeping
the high regions accessible as a place for leisure and relaxation. The
‘Almabtrieb’ or return to valley takes place between early September
and the beginning of October. Alpine pasture walks at
www.suedtirol.info/trekking_en
» South Tyrol is home to 80,000 milk cows. Their milk is processed into
butter, cheese and yoghurt. More information at
www.suedtirol.info/milk
» The ‘Almencard’ in the Gitschberg-Jochtal area [D/E 2-3] offers free
guided walks to 30 Alpine farms and pastures, the use of three cable
cars and participation in events. www.malghe.it
Landscape | 63
Baths culture
Revitalising rural treatments
According to rural custom there’s a herb for every ailment.
Farmers noticed this long ago. Hay packs were applied wherever they felt a dragging pain and those who could afford it
slept on a hay mattress, unlike the farm hands who slept on
straw. Then, around 100 years ago, the hay bath was discovered: after a long day’s toil haymakers on the Alpine meadows
retired worn out to a bed of fresh hay and were surprised when
they woke up completely revived, all aches and pains gone.
When summer went, so did the beneficial effects of wilting hay
which, when it is warmed, releases the fragrant compound coumarin, vitamins, tannins and essential oils which combine to
soothe rheumatic and muscle pains, stimulate the circulation,
strengthen the immune system. Today hay baths can be taken
all year round, as warmth and moisture are introduced to the
hay from external sources. Back in the Middle Ages Tyrolean
farmers took time for a ‘Badl’, in those days a water bath. Even
servants had a right to a bath holiday. The Val d’Ultimo/Ultental Valley became famous for its nine baths. Later the German
chancellor Bismarck fell in love there, completely. It could have
resulted in a wedding, had Bismarck not been such a staunch
protestant and the potential bride’s father from Val d’Ultimo
such a devout catholic…
Fact box:
» The hay, herbs and flowers which go into a hay bath come from unfertilised Alpine meadows. The most important include lady’s mantle,
mugwort, yarrow, pasque flowers, arnica, gentian, primroses, soapwort
and various types of buttercup. Farmsteads and hotels offering hay and
water baths at www.redrooster.it and www.suedtirol.info/wellbeing
64
Meadow treatments: the effects of hay baths were discovered a century ago
Landscape | 65
He has climbed all 14 of the world’s ‘Eight Thousanders’ and at the same time the peak of celebrity: Reinhold Messner
66
Chapter 4 Eminences
A class of their own
In South Tyrol all paths lead upwards. It is in people’s character. The trick is
to keep ahead of the others. There are South Tyroleans without equal, and
others who fear no comparison.
This brings us to the heroes. Or perhaps originals would be a
better description. At one time ‘Court Tyroleans’ were kept
by the city dwellers to provide entertainment with jokes and
yodelling performances. ‘Südtiroler’ (South Tyrolean man)
and ‘Südtirolerin’ (South Tyrolean woman) were common job
names. They were of course inglorious originals. These ‘South
Tyroleans’ were poor but resourceful, making their origin to
their job and attracting attention. Today’s South Tyrolean
originals do not sell themselves cheaply, though even they are
preoccupied with their origin, with their environment, their
homeland’s history, with the instincts and stubbornness of the
inhabitants.
Reinhold Messner and Ötzi – both are unique. The once-in-alifetime climber encountered the moist mummy before it was
discovered on the Similaun Glacier. Messner is one of South
Tyrol’s harshest critics, though also a staunch South Tyrolean,
while if Ötzi had made it onward for another 92.56 metres to
the border he would now be an Austrian. Ötzi and Messner
represent two elements of an immense theme: in South Tyrol
the mountains are omnipresent. During the 1930s Luis Trenker,
South Tyrol’s mountaineering freak par excellence, brought
the colossuses to life on the silver screen. He set new standards for films in which mountains play the leading role.
As an element of nature, the mountain sets the rules and man
adapts. For example Haflinger horses were first bred as mountain working horses and for military purposes. Refuges which
cling to the rock faces at altitude, and audacious cable car systems prove that the mountains can be conquered. This also
gives rise to a certain amount of hubris: 90 per cent of ski runs
are covered by snow-making systems. South Tyrol is a world
leader in developing snowmaking technology, though also
adroit in demonstrating that artificial snow is made from clean
water: the chef Martin Mairhofer in the Val Pusteria/Pustertal
serves sorbets made using pure artificial snow.
Retaining the view of the valley from a high vantage point. In
medieval times many powerful local rulers spied from castles
high up on the mountainsides and decided who should be allowed to pass through Tyrol and who not. So many that South
Tyrol boasts the highest concentrations of castles in all Europe.
As trade and politics found new routes the Tyroleans were left
alone among themselves, cut off from sources of easy money.
Lack of money resulted in several artistic gems surviving, for
example Romanesque frescoes in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley which can still be admired simply because in the 7th century
there was no money available to have the churches repainted.
Nature also holds several records, such as the Dolomites, the
2,000 year-old larches in the Val d’Ultimo/Ultental Valley, the
steppe plants on Monte Sole/Sonnenberg mountain in Val
Venosta Valley, the 350 year-old vine at Prissiano/Prissian
above the Val d’Adige/Etschtal Valley which still yields its owner an abundant supply of wine. The pinnacle of fame is climbed
by sure-footed personages like Ötzi and Reinhold Messner. In
the same way the architect and designer Matteo Thun fits perfectly into this landscape with his concepts. The ‘Kastelruther
Spatzen’ with 15 million records sold are one of the most successful traditional folk groups in the German-speaking area.
The composer and Oscar winner Giorgio Moroder from Val
Gardena/Gröden Valley and nephew of Luis Trenker revolutionised disco music. He lives in Los Angeles but remains an
original South Tyrolean.
Eminences | 67
Ötzi
The ‘Man from the Glacier’
He ‘lives’ under extreme conditions, behind eight-centimetrethick bullet-proof glass at minus six degrees centigrade and
in an atmosphere of 98 percent humidity. The purpose of this
chamber in the Archaeological Museum is to replicate the
conditions prevailing in the rock hollow in the Val Senales/
Schnalstal Valley glacier where a German couple discovered
Ötzi in 1991. It was only when his naturally mummified remains
were examined in a laboratory that the sensation became apparent: the man from the glacier lived 5,300 years ago. He is
the world’s oldest moist mummy, he had been consumed by
the ice 600 years before King Cheops had his pyramid built in
Egypt. We now know he was being pursued up into the high
mountains where he knew the terrain, and was murdered. He
is a long-term patient for scientists, who expect Ötzi to supply new impulses in the spheres of anthropology, genetics, and
medicine. Research into Ötzi’s DNA is hoped to result in new
findings in the sphere of hereditary diseases and conditions
such as Parkinson’s or infertility. Sets of operating instruments
made of titanium and other precision implements have been
developed especially to carry out research into Ötzi. Ötzi’s life
and times have been vividly brought to life in the active museum ArcheoParc in the Val Senales Valley near Merano/Meran.
Sensation of Ötzi: the world’s oldest moist mummy is researched and marvelled at in
Bolzano/Bozen
Fact box:
» The mummy was given the nickname ‘Ötzi’ because the glacier in which
he was discovered is in the Ötztal Alps.
» The mummy and the objects he was carrying on his person – an axe,
bear fur cap, clothing, bow and arrows – as well as a life-size reconstruction can be seen in the Bolzano/Bozen Archaeological Museum
[C4]. www.iceman.it
» Information on the ‘ArcheoParc’ [B2] active museum at
www.archeoparc.it.
» The Eurac Institute for mummies and Ötzi the ‘Iceman’ coordinates and
documents all research projects in co-operation with the Museum of
Archaeology in Bolzano. Ötzi has been photo-documented from twelve
perspectives with zoom and 3-D functions, all of which can be seen at
www.eurac.edu
68
Haflinger
South Tyrol’s equine blondes
The Haflinger is South Tyrol’s very own horse breed and an
all-rounder per excellence: attractive in appearance, sturdy,
impeccable in character, a strong-nerved leisure and family
horse. The first Haflinger was named ‘249 Folie’, born in 1874 in
Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley as son of an Arab stallion and a
local brood mare. The ministry for military and agricultural affairs set up stud farms all over Austria. Strong draught and war
horses were required. The Vinschgau breeder passed muster.
His golden chestnut horse met the Austrian army‘s perception
of the ideal military horse and was described as a “Beefcake
with Arab nobility”. The new foals were bought above all from
farmers on the Tschögglberg mountain overlooking Merano/
Meran where the village of Avelengo/Hafling is located, hence
the name ‘Haflinger’. Farmers carried spa guest from Merano
up to the cool regions on ‘Haflinger’ horses. Later on breeders
from the Val Sarentino/Sarntal Valley selected animals to produce the characteristic blond mane.
Fact box:
» Information on riding stables and riding schools in South Tyrol at
www.suedtirol.info/horseriding
» The South Tyrolean Haflinger Breeders’ Association provides
information on the history of the breed at www.haflinger.eu
» The farmers’ galloping race with Haflinger horses at Merano’s race
course [C3] looks back on a long tradition. The race course is one of
Europe’s finest, specialised in steeplechases. www.meranomaia.it
Eminences | 69
Enlightenment: public house and church on the Monte Santa Croce/Heiligkreuz-Kofel in Val Badia Valley
70
Eminences | 71
Castles
Tyrol of yore
In medieval times Tyrol was an Alpine choke-point between
north and south, and as such was continuously fought-over.
Emperors and popes courted the favour of allies, local nobles
outrivaled each other. Castles were built to oppose castles,
country houses were fortified. Many fortresses sat defiantly on
rock spurs, today fortified manors nestle amid lush vineyards;
some accommodate museums, others have been transformed
into hotels and restaurants. South Tyrol boasts the highest
concentration of castles and sumptuous fortified country
houses in all Europe, 450 in number. The first and largest castle
was Castle Firmiano/Schloss Sigmundskron to the south-west
of Bolzano, mentioned in 945, while over two centuries later
Castel Tirolo/Schloss Tirol Castle overlooking Merano/Meran
became the centre of political power as the family seat of the
Counts of Tirol. Later in the 15th century, as history had moved
on, the powerful Tyrolean classes declared that they would
only swear allegiance to the owner of Castel Tirolo Castle. Today the castle accommodates the Museum for Regional History. Castel Coira/Churburg Castle at Sluderno/Schluderns in
the Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley is a real gem. Rebuilt in the
renaissance style in the 16th century, it now houses an impressive private armoury. However, by far the finest depictions of
everyday courtly life in the Middle Ages are contained in the
secular frescoes in Castel Roncolo/Schloss Runkelstein Castle
in Bolzano, and in Castel Rodengo/Schloss Rodenegg Castle
near Bressanone/Brixen.
Fact box:
» 150 of South Tyrol’s 450 castles and noble residences can be visited, 80
of which are occupied. Appiano/Eppan [B4] is the municipality with the
most castles and aristocratic country houses, 180 in an area with just
13,000 inhabitants.
» Addresses of castles and noble residences as well as castle hotels and
restaurants can be found at www.suedtirol.info/castles
72
Merano/Meran and environs: Castel Monteleone/Lebenberg Castle above Cermes/Tscherms was built in the 13th century
Eminences | 73
Romanesque frescoes
Heaven on earth
Unique in Naturno/Naturns: the fresco mystery of St.Procolo/St. Prokulus church is
unresolved
Fact box:
» The Stairways to heaven project has drawn up a route linking the most
interesting cultural sites with Romanesque art in South Tyrol, Graubünden (Grijons) and Trentino: www.stairwaystoheaven.it
» From the brush to stone: the cathedral precinct of Bressanone/Brixen
[D3] with its cloister and several chapels is South Tyrol’s largest
medieval church complex. The Romanesque monastery church of San
Candido/Innichen [H3] has survived almost entirely in its original state,
www.innichen.info. The portals of Castel Tirolo Castle’s [C3] great hall
and chapel are among the most remarkable works of Romanesque
stone masonry in the entire Alpine area, www.casteltirolo.it.
74
Around 1200: pilgrims are everywhere, all searching for God.
Churches, monasteries and convents are painted with depictions of heaven and hell in the most striking colours. Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley, the region’s western valley system, is
South Tyrol’s stronghold of Romanesque fresco painting. The
quality of Romanesque art has survived better here than anywhere else, with a concentration without comparison in Europe. Abbazia di Monte Maria/Kloster Marienberg Abbey near
Malles/Mals forms the unsurpassed opening. The crypt frescoes served as a model for the painters of the Monastery of
St. John in the neighbouring Müstair Valley, Switzerland and
for the castle chapel of Castello d’Appiano/Schloss Hocheppan Castle to the south of Bolzano. Monte Maria paintings
also influenced those in the small church of San Giacomo/
St. Jakob on the Kastelaz hill at Termeno/Tramin in the south
of South Tyrol. In those days nobody spoke of freedom in art.
The contents were determined by the Church, the person commissioning the painting decided the motifs and the painters
executed the task. The patron‘s sense of fashion is evident in
the chapel of Castel d’Appiano Castle: Ulrich von Eppan was
a passionate crusader and brought home with him samples of
the latest Byzantine craze. In those days the Byzantine style
was the standard in western painting. Influences are found in
the Chapel of San Giacomo near Glorenza/Glurns and in the
mysterious frescoes in the San Procolo/St. Prokulus church at
Naturno/Naturns near Merano/Meran.
Mountain lifts
Electrical alpenglow
It seemed impossible to catch up with Switzerland, where
the mountains had been subjugated by all kinds of transport.
And then the unexpected happened. On 29th June 1908 the
cable car up to the Colle mountain from Bolzano/Bozen entered service, the world’s first passenger aerial cable car system, a month before the Swiss Wetterhorn cable car opened.
This pioneering enterprise was born of necessity. The financer
Josef Staffler built a hotel in the hamlet of Colle high above
Bolzano/Bozen and awaited guests. A road up the mountain
was out of the question and Staffler couldn’t afford a cable
railway. The only alternative was the air. At the time South Tyrol’s cable car expert was Luis Zuegg. In 1912 the industrialist
planned the cable car from Lana up to the Monte San Vigilio/
Vigil-Joch Mountain, while during the First World War be built
cable cars to supply soldiers, including the one on the Passo
dello Stelvio/Stilfser Joch. When the materials became scarce
he tautened the fixed cable and had the new system patented
as the Bleichert-Zuegg-System. By 1940 the companies Zuegg
and Bleichert had built 35 aerial cable car systems in Europe,
the USA and South Africa. Today 377 lift systems are in operation in South Tyrol. The South Tyrolean company Leitner is
involved in the development of new cable car systems world
wide.
Fact box:
World record: the first aerial passenger cable car on Bolzano’s Kohlern mountain entered
service in 1908
» A cable car still connects Bolzano with the summer holiday resort of
Colle [C5]. A gondola belonging to the first generation can be seen at
the top terminal. Information on all three cable cars from Bolzano up
to its home mountains available from www.bolzano-bozen.it
» Information on South Tyrol’s cable car pioneers can be obtained from
the trustees of South Tyrol’s technical cultural heritage at
www.technikmuseum.it
» The only working historical cable railway in South Tyrol is on the Mendola/Mendel mountain [B5], built in 1903. It is one of Europe’s steepest
railways.
Eminences | 75
Matteo Thun
The consummate designer
Luxury is simply precious. Matteo Thun, born and raised in Bolzano/Bozen, architect and designer, has tried his hand at all
kinds of forms. With Ettore Sottsass he founded the Memphis
design movement setting new benchmarks for the interplay
of shapes during the 1980s, he was the creative director of
Swatch, entered New York’s Hall of Fame in 2004 and is now
one of the world’s top designers and architects. Matteo Thun
demands the prohibition of inappropriate encroachments on
the landscape. In architectural terms this means building in
harmony with nature. Thun’s projects in the Alps illustrate this
principle. Thun captures the soul of the place, asks himself
how large a house may be in proportion with its surroundings
and in his answers he considers elements such as trees and
rock faces. Three hotels in South Tyrol bear Thun’s signature:
the Vigilius Mountain Resort above Lana in the Val d’Adige/Etschtal Valley in the form of a horizontal tree, the Pergola Residence near Merano/Meran which estles symbiotically among
vineyards, and the Merano thermal baths complex, the ‘Terme
Merano’, where he had the wood and stone treated to look as
though water had smoothened their surfaces through ages of
attrition. Thun’s luxury is the art of renouncing, of simplicity. It
seems the only thing he can’t renounce is well-being.
Fact box:
All you need to know about Matteo Thun at www.matteothun.com
Vigilius Mountain Resort near Lana [B3] at www.vigilius.it
Pergola Residence in Algundo/Algund [B3] at www.pergola-residence.it
Matteo Thun designed the interiors of the Terme Merano and its Hotel
Steigenberger [C3], www.termemerano.it
» The Matteo Thun’s ‘Binoculars’, a spectacular viewing platform in the
gardens of Castel Trauttmansdorff/SchlossTrauttmansdorff Castle [C3]
overlooking Merano, www.trauttmansdorff.it
»
»
»
»
76
Thun’s Pergola Residence near Lagundo/Algund: luxury is the art of minimalism
Eminences | 77
Farmstead in the Valli di Tures e Aurina/Tauferer Ahrntal Valley: 65 percent of South Tyrol’s farmsteads are located above 4,900 feet elevation
78
Chapter 5 Tradition
The art of self-preservation
Since time immemorial modernity has influenced life in the valley, while in the
higher regions people clung tenaciously to their way of living. Knowledge
about nature and everyday tradition there is written in people’s DNA.
Home, ‘Heimat’, meaning one’s dwelling, village and South Tyrol in general, is a strong and popular word. A roof over one’s
head, ground and a floor under one’s feet, home in South Tyrol need not be large, but is an inherited piece of land, often
tiny, which one can call one’s own. “S’Hoamatl” in a mountain
farmer’s mouth means house and farm, the feeling that he belongs here and nowhere else. Few mountain people leave their
farms. The number of abandoned farms is lower here than in
most other European regions.
Farmers are forced to live frugally. 65 per cent of farmsteads
lie at elevations exceeding 5,000 feet, many of which are in
such steep terrain that it is said even the hens need crampons,
children have to be tethered to stop then falling down the
mountainside and that after heavy rainfall the soil which has
been washed away has to be brought back up. Many farmers
live alone, roads, electricity and satellite TV have not yet arrived in the high regions and for this reason country women in
the valley rarely wish to become farmers’ wives. Many run their
farms on a part-time basis. Work in the cowshed is either the
task of the farmer’s wife if there is one, otherwise it is taken
care of by the farmer after a day’s work in the factory or at
the ski lift. Holidays are used to make hay. Of course there are
volunteers from the towns who join in the farm work for the
experience, though their numbers can hardly compensate for
the now defunct extended family. Many feel the burden, the
clock ticks on the mountain farmstead just as it does in the
valley, but time is completely different: the well-beaten path
to the barn, the father’s words in one’s ear at every move, the
wedding picture of the grandparents in the parlour. One feels
one simply owes it to those who have slaved away there in the
past to stay on the farm.
While in the valley life went on looking towards the future, on
the Alpine pastures life went around in circles. Supplication
processions and days on which the weather presaged the coming season came around each year – including droving animals
up to their summer pastures and back again in autumn, and of
course it was essential to be present at the Sagra/Kirchtag fair
(on the anniversary of the consecration of the local church) because they interrupted the solitude on the farm. Nobody wanted to abolish these dates from the calendar. The fascist dictator
Mussolini tried. From 1923 he forbade everything which was
or appeared Tyrolean and in 1939 he agreed on a programme
with the Nazi leader Hitler to resettle the South Tyroleans in
the German Reich. This was the point at which the South Tyroleans began to appreciate all that was dear to them in their
‘Hoamatl’, traditions, dialect and beliefs. Life remained uncertain even after 1945. Consequently time stood still for a while
in South Tyrol. At home on the mountain farmstead the state
seemed remote and without doubt memories of hard times
have been instrumental in keeping alive many customs and
traditions which elsewhere have been consigned to oblivion.
Festivals are celebrated like in the past, rural women make lace
together, traditional music bands in Tyrolean costume strike
up in village squares on Sundays, and there is still the traditional ‘Tante Emma’ (Aunt Emma) local general store.
South Tyroleans have always remained true to themselves, out
of sheer need, from respect, though also to differentiate themselves from others. Preservation is legally regulated in South
Tyrol: historical buildings have been protected since 1850.
Under normal circumstances farms are inherited as complete
units rather than broken up among family members, usually
passed on to a son, though since 2001 daughters have also enjoyed rights of inherited. In one way or another, ‘S’Hoamatl’
must be preserved.
Tradition | 79
Alpine farming women
The farming women’s proclamation
The farmstead reigns supreme, followed by the farmer and his
wife. Her domain was once the kitchen and garden, while now
she is an entrepreneur in her own right who joins in the work
to ensure the survival of the farm. Today two-thirds of farms
are run on a part time basis, with secondary income derived
from farm holidays and opening up the parlour as a ‘Buschenschank’, that is, a farmhouse inn. Few farms are self-sufficient,
though still the farming women find they have enough. They
do not need to read labels to find out which wool goes into
their felt slippers, they do not buy vacuum-packed herbs and
many bake bread once again according to old recipes. These
farmers’ wives have long-since burnished their self-esteem
and made the fruits of their work accessible on-line: their message from a woman’s perspective goes: “Learn – grow – live
with farming women”. These farming women pass on precious
information accumulated over centuries in farmstead tours,
tastings of their own farm produce, in cookery and crafts lessons. The farmstead as a classroom is an extremely promising
project for the future and at the same time a journey back to
the beginnings of life.
Keeps centuries-old knowledge alive: the farmer’s wife as entrepreneur
Fact box:
» The service website ‘Learn – grow – live with farming women’ at
www.lernen-wachsen-leben.sbb.it.
» There are 25,000 farmsteads in South Tyrol, 80 per cent of which are
family-run. Every second farmstead comprises less than five hectares.
12,500 farmsteads are ‘closed’, that is they can only be passed on to the
next generation complete and should be capable of maintaining a family of four. Support for farmers is supplied by a voluntary work group
(VFA) at www.bergbauernhilfe.it
» 1,350 farmsteads offer farm holidays and insight into the farming lifestyle. Addresses at www.redrooster.it
80
Customs and traditions
Witching hours
There is a time for everything in mountain communities. When
farmers talk about the weather it does not mean they have got
nothing else to discuss, and if they parade through the village
with masks it does not mean they are stark raving mad. In addition to religious holidays the rural calendar contains plenty of
cult festivities surviving from pre-Christian times. Christmas
and carnival period customs have survived best. For example
the entire farmstead is ‘smoked’ on the evening of the feast of
the Epiphany (6th January): the family follows a pan full of embers and incense to drive out evil spirits and ask for benediction. In the Val Sarentino/Sarntal Valley masked youths called
‘Klöckler’ (not only in Val Sarentino) have paraded from house
to house during Advent making a din and bringing good wishes ever since the 16th century. ‘Klosn’ begins on the evening
of St. Nicholas’s day in the village of Stelvio/Stilfs in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley, when masked youths in Santa Clause’s
(‘Klos’s’) retinue make mischief while jangling bells and chains.
Driving out daemons, stimulating fertility – the wild goings on
are actually the men’s preserve. Similarly, since 1591 ‘Egetmann
Hansl’ with his bride – a man dressed up as a woman - has
been leading his wedding parade through the village of Termeno/Tramin in the South of South Tyrol every second year on
Shrove Tuesday, with 700 villagers summoned to take part. The
Val Venosta Valley custom of ‘Scheibenschlagen’ – launching
burning wooden discs from the mountainside into the night
sky – goes back to prehistoric times and takes place on the
first Sunday in Lent. Growing and thriving – rituals serve the
purpose of turning the wheel further.
Fact box:
» The museum of ethnic anthropology in the village of Teodone/Dietenheim [F2] near Brunico/Bruneck documents rural everyday life in past
centuries using historical farmhouses and craftsmen’s workshops. The
noble residence ‘Mair am Hof’ is dedicated to folk art and piety.
www.volkskundemuseum.it
» Information on customs and traditions at www.suedtirol.info/culture
Tradition | 81
Tradition
Red hat band, green hat band
Brass bands set the tone in South Tyrol. 211 music bands perform at church and popular festivals. 10,000 men and women
are band members and every second musician is under 30
years old. The municipality of Appiano/Eppan to the south
of Bolzano/Bozen with just 13,000 inhabitants even has four
village bands. The village band of Monguelfo/Welsberg in the
Val Pusteria/Pustertal Valley is no longer a male domain, given
that over half of its members are female. Bands play in traditional South Tyrolean costume, the diversity of which is famous throughout the Alps. It is usually hand-made and each
village has its own distinctive design. Wearing of traditional
costume is cultivated above all by folk dancing and local civil
defence militia groups, and music bands. At one time traditional costume conveyed a wealth of information about the
wearer, even whether a man was ‘available’: in the Val Sarentino/Sarntal Valley a red hat band still signifies that a man is
single, a green band that he is married. Local bands – often
from a village, or in the case of Bolzano and Merano/Meran
from a town district, can attain high professional standards
and their directors are often top musicians. Today their repertoire often extends beyond marches and waltzes to challenging contemporary compositions. The first concert of the year
is traditionally performed in the village square in spring, after
which hardly a Sunday goes by without a concert – always admission free.
Fact box:
» The Association of South Tyrolean Music Bands unites all the region’s
211 music bands.
82
Brass band music in costume: 10,000 men and women play in a South Tyrolean traditional music band
Tradition | 83
Card table: four South Tyroleans, each with five cards at a game of ‘Watten’
84
Luck and pluck win the game: Watten, South Tyrol’s national pastime
Tradition | 85
Geraniums
The fire in the bay window
Every year in early summer a fire of red geraniums blazes on
the balconies and window ledges of farm- and guesthouses. In
South Tyrol this display of colour belongs to the house just as
much as a holy water font belongs in the parlour. ‘Brennende
Liab’ or ‘Burning Love’ is the poetic name South Tyroleans affectionately give to their geraniums. The crimson flowers hang
over the pine timberwork, just like they did in June 1939 when
Hitler and Mussolini agreed on the relocation of the South
Tyroleans to the German Reich. Anybody remaining at home
had to become Italian in heart and soul. South Tyroleans were
faced with the choice, or ‘Option’ as it is referred to in historical circles: leave or stay. Discussions raged among families
and – after they had decided – on the fronts. The geraniums
flowered between them. The flower was used by both sides as
a symbol for the homeland and exploited for propaganda purposes. In a poem Hans Egarter, one of those who decided to
stay, symbolised his allegiance to his homeland with the ‘burning love’. The Nazi propaganda, in contrast, snatched the last
geranium from the bay window: “The allegiance to Germany
was strongest” as a poem there declared and 85 per cent of
South Tyroleans really did opt for Germany. 75,000, a third of
the population, left their homeland. Over 20,000 returned after 1945. Time healed this fissure in South Tyrol’s society very
slowly. One thing did survive the turmoil unharmed: as always
‘burning love’ blazes in bay windows.
86
‘Brennende Liab’: the red geraniums belong to the houses just as much as a holy water font
belongs in the parlour
Dialect
As spoken by South Tyroleans
To the untrained ear German spoken in Bolzano is hardly distinguishable from the dialect heard in Innsbruck. In reality
over 40 flavours of Tyrolean German are spoken in South Tyrol’s valleys, variations which derive from the southern Bavarian group of dialects. Austrian Tyroleans are surprised at the
number of Italian words and expressions which have found
their way into the vernacular during the 20th century, making
South Tyrolean a variegated mixture of Austrian-German and
Italian culture.
Fact box:
» An introduction to ‘Südtirolerisch’ – or rather Sidtiroulerisch at
www.oschpele.ritten.org
Tradition | 87
Handicrafts
Skill and dexterity
A great number of South Tyroleans were forced to acquire skills
because of adversity. The copper mine in the village of Predoi/
Prettau in the Valle Aurina/Ahrntal Valley closed in 1893 and
suddenly 60 men were out of work. Women were forced to
become breadwinners and learnt how to make lace. The parish
priest had the idea. Women sat up late into the night working on their lace pillows. Lace was often exchanged against
groceries. Today the ‘Predoi Lace-making School’ society has
39 female and two male members. Summer courses offer children the opportunity to learn the skill. A pricked-out pattern is
tacked onto a firm pillow, and each twist of the bobbins – often
several hundred – is held in place by a pin. In Val Gardena/
Gröden Valley farming families began to diversify in the 17th
century by turning their hands to wood carving. The valley was
remote, life austere, the winter long. Father, mother and children carved wooden figures of saints and toys. As time went
on millions of wooden figures were exported from the valley
and people from Val Gardena Valley sold their wares themselves. The Unika Association was founded in 1994 and now a
large number of Val Gardena craftspeople are members. Unika
runs an exhibition room in Ortisei/St. Ulrich and organises a
sculpturing fair each year in September.
Fact box:
» There are 13,000 crafts enterprises in South Tyrol, including artistic
craftspersons. Information on art handicrafts at www.werkstaetten.it
» Houses of lace-makers are identified by the symbol of the Valle Aurina
Valley cultural mile [F/G 1-2], www.ahrntal.it
» Sculptors, sculpture painters, gilders and ornament carvers have joined
together in the Unika association. Information on art wood-carving in
Val Gardena Valley [E 4-6] at www.unika.org
» The Museum Ladin at S. Martino in Badia/St. Martin in Thurn [F4]
houses the largest collection of Val Gardena Valley toys: 630 pieces
from the period from 1750 to 1920. www.museumladin.it
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Shift of focus in Val Gardena/Gröden’s artistic wood carving tradition: the search for the original
Tradition | 89
The Holey
Land
It is ages since they last got around to mountain climbing: in the Val
Passiria/Passeiertal Valley holidaymakers retire to the club house rather
than a mountain cabin. A latent cold war around golf slumbers beneath
the idyll of lofty peaks. A South Tyrolean bucolic story in nine tees.
byLukasKapeller
1.
A golfer is standing in the wood, completely still and
silent – the only sounds come from a couple of cowbells jangling in the distance. But Dr. Meier can’t hear them. His IPod
in his trouser pocket, earbuds inserted, a seven iron in his
hand, he chips a basket full of golf balls onto the green. Missed
again! A good dozen balls surround the little white flag. “Never
mind, I’m only practising”, he says. Dr. Meier, an orthopaedic
surgeon from Bremen, family man, handicap 16, has come for a
week’s holiday in South Tyrol. Not to hike, climb or tour on his
motorbike like he used to, but to play golf. “That’s it with these
mountain golf courses”, he says, “where the steep terrain goes
up and down all the time.” Weather permitting he still takes to
the fairway. If not be does so anyhow.
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2.
Anybody wanting to build a golf course in South Tyrol needs to be farsighted. And such people are difficult to
find here. High mountains, narrow valleys and lush vineyards
on the slopes: each South Tyrolean’s horizon is blocked by at
least one mountainside. Golfing in South Tyrol is like Formula
One racing in Monte Carlo, a cramped affair. If a golf course
ever comes to be built, then it must be on up-and-down terrain. Plots of land are scarce and expensive, above all those
that they own. “I need at least between 60 and 80 hectares
for a decent 18-hole golf course”, says Hannes Schnitzer of the
association Golf in South Tyrol which competes for those plots
of ground which are large enough to attract golfing tourists to
South Tyrol. And here we are only talking about those with nine
or 18 holes. At first glance South Tyrol and golf hardly seem to
go together. Neither at second glance: there are no latifundia
in Alto Adige, the southern part of the holy Province of Tyrol.
Farmers with estates of five hectares of meadowland are regarded as large landowners. “Anybody intending to build a golf
course has to deal with a myriad of farmers”, says Schnitzer,
“and it’s like herding cats to get them all in agreement.”
4.
Life is tough for livestock farmers in South Tyrol, in
contrast with fruit-growers, who account for ten per cent of
Europe’s entire apple production. Naturally the thriving business with apples resulted in conflict between farmers and golf
course builders. “It’s not worthwhile building a golf course in
the valley bottom”, says Schnitzer. A fruit grower with 50 hectares of orchard earns far more from his apples than he ever
could with a golf course. Consequently the only choice open to
an investor is to make an offer to a large number of farmers.
The best chances of success are on mountain plateaus, where
livestock farming rather than fruit-growing is the norm. Apart
from Lana and the Val Passiria Valley, the seven largest golf
courses are located at elevations of up to 5,600 feet. There of
course investors have to do battle with environmentalists.
3.
The Passeier golf course where Dr. Meier is trying to
perfect his chip shot was also a highly contested area. In the
1990s the South Tyrolean daily newspaper Dolomiten wrote of
a Val Passiria Valley golf war. It was built in any case, against
the opposition of various farmers and local people. Even the
parish priest is said to have fulminated against the golf course
from the pulpit. This is how the operator Karl Pichler summed
up the battle fought against his golf course during the opening
celebration in 1996: “Six years, almost as long as the Second
World War - thank God there were no casualties, though we
made up for this by the numbers who were annoyed and offended”. Today the facility stretches peacefully and lush green
with 18 holes from San Martino/St. Martin as far as San Leonardo/St. Leonhard, over six kilometres. “They were tough times”,
says Georg Blaas. He is one of seven farmers who leased their
land for 30 years. Today he is the secretary in the club house,
while the other farmers work as green keepers. “We worked
hard early morning until late at night. It became difficult to
earn a living from agriculture”, says Blaas, “though today I get
a good rent for my land.”
Tradition | 91
5.
“Golf courses are built in the only places we have left
to protect”, complains Andreas Riedl, general manager of the
South Tyrolean umbrella organisation for the protection of nature and the environment. Riedl stresses that he has nothing
against golfing in the valley floor, for “a golf course is still more
environmentally friendly than an apple orchard.” But it is precisely because of the profit yielded by apple-growing that none
are built there. Another factor, according to the golf marketer
Schnitzer, “Golf is the only sport in South Tyrol which makes
no demands on the public purse. The investments are always
come from private sources”. Nevertheless the golfing lobby is
blazing a trail towards more holes. There is no lack of plans: enthusiasts may soon be able to tee-off at Braies/Prags, Monticolo/Montiggl and Settequerce/Siebeneich near Bolzano/Bozen.
“Projects appear and vanish again, but are ready for use when
the political constellation between the mayor and provincial
government is favourable”, says the environmentalist Riedl.
6.
Georg Blaas cannot find anything wrong with that.
When the Val Passiria Valley golf course opened in 1996 he exchanged the smell of the cowshed for brightly-coloured polo
shirts. “I also enjoyed being a farmer”, he says, “but now I no
longer have to get up at five in the morning and worry about
getting kicked in the head while milking.” Today he can earn
a decent living from the golf course, as can the people who
live in San Leonardo. Except for one: Franz Berger , owner of a
small farm in the Val Passiria Valley who is still inwardly against
the golfing barons, in spite of lucrative offers for his land. “It’s
just that Franz is a livestock farmer, heart and soul”, explains
his wife, “the others aren’t”.
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7.
Guests have to play around Berger’s seven hectares
of meadow. When the golfers finally walk to the car park, tired
after the 18th hole, they take a shortcut by strolling straight
across his land. Actually the operators had promised him a
fence years ago, though none has been forthcoming. “Then
you are the small, stupid farmer”, says Berger. They finally put
up a net in spring, “but they always find a gap somewhere.” He
gets most annoyed when golf balls land on his fields. “Then
the balls golfers can’t find end up in our fodder, and we have
to look for them in the barn.” In autumn the operators intend
to build a golf hotel with around a hundred beds. “They’ll build
right on top of our dung heap, then I’ll have to move it”, adds
the farmer with a leery smile. By now the farmer just laughs it
away: “There’s no point arguing with them.”
8.
The view from the club house is rather like a look into
the past: steep rock faces hemming in the valley from west to
east, surmounted by dense forest, solitary farmsteads in between nestling amid lush green pastures. It is historical terrain.
The Sandwirt public house, birth place of Tyrol’s hero Andreas
Hofer, is situated just one or two golf strokes from the club
house. There is a museum beside the inn celebrating the life of
the freedom fighter. The guest book contains the words: “May
Tyrol continue to live, prosper and preserve its traditions.”
9.
In the meantime Dr. Meier has done enough chipping
and is now practising with the driver. With regular strokes he
drives the balls high into the overcast Alpine sky. Dr Meier
does not notice the farmstead where Franz Berger removes
golf balls from his feeding trough each week. “It didn’t bother
my game”, he says.
Tradition | 93
‘Knödel’ and ‘Speck’
Poor man’s fare
Fact box:
» The word Knödel derives from the Middle High German ‘Knode’ meaning knot. In South Tyrol they are made in 36 variations of savoury and
sweet dumplings. Knödel first appeared in art in a 13th century fresco
in Castel Appiano/Schloss Hocheppan Castle’s chapel [B4], depicting a
maid eating dumplings: www.hocheppan.com.
» 2.5 million hams of Speck are produced each year bearing the South
Tyrol logo. South Tyrolean ‘Bauernspeck’ or farmhouse ham and bacon
has become a niche product, available from 28 shops and at
www.gutesaussuedtirol.com. Full information on Speck and sales at
www.speck.it
» Farmhouse inns look back on a long tradition: farming families open
their parlours and cellars for 180 days a year, during which they serve
their wines and regional fare. Addresses at www.redrooster.it
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It seems extraordinary, but this is how Knödel – Tyrol’s famous
dumplings – were invented: a platoon of marauding mercenary soldiers burst into a farmhouse. They were famished, and
the farmer’s wife has nothing proper to feed them with. Nevertheless, as expected she found a few ingredients to whip up a
meal: stale bread, onions, eggs, belly pork, flour. She chopped
up the bread, bacon and onions, mixed everything together,
added a few herbs from the garden and salt, made round balls
and simmered them in salted water. The soldiers departed
satisfied. After that the woman obviously cooked Knödel frequently and obligingly passed on the recipe. Nevertheless it
is difficult to make good Knödel according to a recipe, for it is
important to develop a feeling, to sense when the mixture is
too moist or too dry. With Speck the history is reversed: South
Tyroleans are only just running out of pigs and Speck meat
must now be imported. Genuine South Tyrolean ‘Bauernspeck’
or farmhouse ham and bacon, has become a rarity given that
it is produced from pigs which are born and reared on South
Tyrolean farmsteads, fed entirely on GM-free fodder. 14 feed
lot operations have signed up to this principle and supply the
meat to be processed into South Tyrolean ‘Bauernspeck’: each
year around 700 pigs are slaughtered. Traditionally the whole
animal is used, in addition to the hind leg the neck, shoulder,
chops and belly are processed into Speck. The first official
mention of ‘Speck’ is found in trade registers and legislation
regulating butchers dating from around 1200. At the time meat
was preserved by smoking in northern countries, and by salting in Mediterranean regions. South Tyroleans, on the other
hand, both smoked and salted their meat, producing dry-cured
ham combining features of both: a little salt, a little cold smoke
and plenty of fresh air are the secrets of producing Speck. At
one time Speck was a precious food to aid survival through the
hard winter, while today it belongs on every Tyrolean platter of
cold cuts. Its flavour is strongly influenced by the way it is cut:
thinly sliced, cut into thick squares, like matchsticks or diced?
Südtiroler Speck (cured ham): milder than northern smoked ham, more savoury than Italian prosciutto
Tradition | 95
Atmosphere of change around 1980: artists demonstrate in Bolzano/Bozen
96
Chapter 6 A new dawn
A new dawn
South Tyrol remained a world apart for many years. Tradition is cherished. Then
suddenly everything came together harmoniously: the region decided to perceive
itself and its surroundings differently. It decided to enter the modern world.
“wereallyareagenerationtrappedinlimbo.
Wecan’tgobackwardsandareinterrorofmovingforwards”.
N.C.Kaser,1978
The Germans. The Italians. Two planets. For decades politics
in South Tyrol was geared towards ensuring that the two languages and cultures were kept apart. This entailed protecting
the German and Ladin identities against anything which could
endanger them. Schools and clubs were divided according to
language groups, no fresh influence could touch customs and
traditions. Trouble began to brew in the shell in which South
Tyrol had enclosed itself.
In the 1970s students, liberal left-wing persons, artists began
to crack open the shell. They began to arouse public interest
and put the old questions about living together in South Tyrol
in a new light. While the political leaders clung to the principle
of partitioning society, dissenters searched for a new space for
the reality of South Tyrol’s situation. The Germans. The Italians. Friends, lovers, parents who no longer knew what they
were: Italians or Germans? They found they shared the same
concerns, the same thoughts, the first narrow bridges were
built, individual theatre people came out in favour of the standard language and dialect was banished from the stage, the Italian director Marco Bernardi staged bilingual plays for the first
time, authors and artists compared themselves with counterparts elsewhere in Italy and in other German-speaking countries. The author Norbert C. Kaser became a figurehead and
an unconventional thinker. At the same time the Green Party
politician and one of the most highly-regarded Europhiles,
Alexander Langer, viewed as something of a nightmare at
home, declared: “The more we have dealings with each other,
the better we get to know and understand each other, and
the more we feel we belong together.” From 1989 onward official South Tyrol began to change. Old politicians retired. Negotiations with Italy on South Tyrol’s autonomy statute were
about to be concluded. Once the rights of the German minority in South Tyrol had been safeguarded the new politicians
prepared to break out of the shell and set the course for an
educational and cultural offensive to make South Tyrol a cosmopolitan, self-assured and independent intellectual and action space. A new South Tyrolean culture has been built on this
foundation since then. All major cultural facilities have been
built since 1989, the towns saw themselves for the first time as
centres of culture. Shared purposes drew the language groups
together. German and Italian historians began to co-operate
in reviewing South Tyrol’s history. There was an awakening of
regional self-awareness. Discussions began on contemporary
forms of culture and their significance in social development.
Culture attained a new status: culture became a profession.
South Tyrol was a building site. An experiment. With an uncertain denouement. South Tyroleans began to like the new
form of co-existence. But they needed time. Joseph Zoderer
had been studying German-Italian relations in his novels for
years. As much as they would like to, nobody describes how
involved the relationships are as well as he does:
“Hefeltsurroundedbyaplacewhich,byvirtueofhisGermanlanguage,seemedtobelongtohimsincehisbirth,whileforMarait
hadtobeaplacewhichhe,asitwere,bequeathedtoher;yes,she
shouldthinkitwasherown,althoughshewashalfItalian.”
JosephZoderer,ThePainofFamiliarisation,2002
A new dawn | 97
The towns
‘stadtstiche’ or town and village portraits
South Tyrol’s towns are small and laid-back with mountain
views, town and countryside lie close together. Nevertheless
around 1970 protests stirred here, where the alien and the familiar encounter each other more forcefully than in villages.
Norbert C. Kaser, an author from Brunico/Bruneck fostered
the new wave of South Tyrolean literature in Bressanone/
Brixen, playwrights and producers challenged accepted norms
in Merano/Meran, Bressanone and Brunico, new publishing
houses and newspapers opened, artists and students became
provocative in Merano and Bolzano. The ruckus worked. The
towns changed their tones, they now wanted to be towns with
their own culture, their own history, each with its own aura.
The provincial capital, Bolzano, became the capital of culture.
In the space of 20 years Bolzano was given a research centre,
a university, a municipal theatre, a concert hall, the town’s
demand for music was finally satisfied, a museum for contemporary art, a cinema centre and – as icing on the cake – a permanent children’s theatre opened. Brunico opened up with a
new town hall in a new town square, vitalised its thermal baths
centre with a Mediterranean piazza. Much has changed since
1975 when Norbert C. Kaser wrote his famous ‘stadtstiche’ –
town and village portraits. Only Glorenza/Glurns remains unscathed, where the town walls have fended off new influences:
within them nothing has changed, the town has survived as
quaint as it has ever been.
Fact box:
» South Tyrol’s eight towns: Bolzano/Bozen [C4], Merano/Meran [C3],
Bressanone/Brixen [D3], Brunico/Bruneck [F2], Vipiteno/Sterzing [D2],
Chiusa/Klausen [D4], Glorenza/Glurns [A2] and since 1985, Laives/
Leifers [C5]. Information on individual towns at
www.suedtirol.info/towns
» An overview of major cultural events are available at
www.suedtirol.info/events
98
Bressanone/Brixen: South Tyrol’s new literature begins in the bishopric town
A new dawn | 99
Architecture
The hot tin roof
A Tyrolean roof is steep, Fascists build flat roofs. And there’s
an end to it! That was the extent of all discussions about architecture during the 1980s: South Tyroleans continued to
build ‘farm houses’ even though they were no longer farmers.
Othmar Barth was one of the few architects in the region who
implemented the ideas of the German ‘Bauhaus’ or school of
building style combining crafts and fine arts. He is regarded as
the trailblazer among young architects who introduced a contemporary style of architecture with a regional imprint: they
treat historical buildings with respect, use only local materials
in their designs and ensure their buildings blend in with the
local landscape. The first to show courage to introduce new
ideas were the Church and architects from the Val Venosta/
Vinschgau Valley, then other parts of South Tyrol followed suit.
The most recently completed large-scale building projects by
South Tyrolean architects include the town hall (municipio/
Rathaus) at Brunico/Bruneck in the Val Pusteria/Pustertal Valley, the Vigilius Mountain Resort hotel above Lana in the Valle
d’Adige/Etschtal Valley, the new church of Saltusio/Saltaus in
the Val Passiria/Passeiertal Valley. Projects with which architects enter a dialogue with old buildings when rebuilding or
refurbishing are held in high esteem, including the innovative
wineries in the areas of Appiano/Eppan and Caldaro/Kaltern,
several provincial museums, the extended parish church of
Laives/Leifers to the south of Bolzano/Bozen and Castel Firmiano/Schloss Sigmundskron Castle near Bolzano. The ensemble of stations along the newly reactivated Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley railway is unique: industrial dinosaurs are fed with
cutting-edge technology.
Fact box:
» First attempts at modern architecture in South Tyrol began around
1920: the North Tyrolean Lois Welzenbacher and the South Tyrolean
painter Hubert Lanzinger built in the Alpine Bauhaus style in the
hamlet of Tre Chiese/Dreikirchen [D4] overlooking the Valle Isarco/
Eisacktal Valley, www.briol.it. From 1934 architects designed new town
districts of Bolzano [C4] in the fascist ‘Rationalist’ style.
» The ‘Art House’ (Kunsthaus) in Merano [C3] hosts regular exhibitions
focusing on contemporary architecture in South Tyrol and international
architectural trends, www.kunstmeranoarte.org, as does the Chamber of
Architects foundation in Bolzano [C4], www.arch.bz.it.
» An architectural prize ‘New Building in the Alps’ has been awarded at
Sesto/Sexten [H4] in the Alta Val Pusteria/Hochpustertal Valley since
1992. www.neuesbauenindenalpen.com
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Contemporary architecture with regional character: the new town hall at Brunico/Bruneck
A new dawn | 101
Contemporary art
Concept Art
In 1979 a group of young people occupied an old factory site
in Bolzano/Bozen, demanding a youth centre for all three
languages and cultures. The town council had the building
cleared, a car park was planned. There was better to come: in
2008 the new Museion opened on the same site, the museum
for modern and contemporary art, an open house which excited discussion. The glass cube designed by the Berlin architects
Krüger, Schuberth, Vandreike is sited at the very point where
the River Talvera/Talfer divides Bolzano’s ‘German’ medieval
centre from the ‘Italian’ side of the town built in the 1930s. It is
the ideal place to foster art as a vehicle to resolve social tension. Both Germans and Italians have the courage to approach
contemporary art. The Museion was founded in 1985 as a private society, in the same year the ‘Galerie Museum’ opened
in Bolzano, then came ‘kunst meran’ in 2001 followed by the
‘Designgalerie Lungomare’ in Bolzano in 2003. In 2008 politics
set a further signal: South Tyrol became a venue for the Manifesta 7, the European Biennale of contemporary art. There is no
way back. With the two Museion bridges over the River Talvera
the connection between times and cultures can no longer be
severed.
Glass house: the Museum for modern and contemporary art in Bolzano/Bozen views art
as a means of bridging social differences
Fact box:
» Museion [C4]: the focus of the collection and the programme of exhibitions is on post 1960 art. The museum has made its name well beyond
South Tyrol’s borders with its emphasis on ‘Language in Art’.
www.museion.it
» Galerie Museum [C4]: the association ‘ArGe Kunst’ shows above all
experimental and interdisciplinary art initiatives. www.argekunst.it
» kunst meran [C3]: the cultural initiative beneath Merano/Meran’s arcades is a platform for national and international art and architecture.
www.kunstmeranoarte.org
» Lungomare [C4]: is a workshop for culture and design, exploring the
relationships between design, architecture, town planning, art.
www.lungomare.org
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Museums
Showcasing the homeland
It all began with the Man from the Glacier. Ötzi came, and
suddenly South Tyrol needed an archaeological museum. The
mummy took up residence in 1998. South Tyrol considered
other treasures which to date had been sent to the Ferdinandeum in Innsbruck for safekeeping, but which would now stay
and be put on display in South Tyrol. Most of South Tyrol’s 80
museums opened after 1989. Basic knowledge on South Tyrol’s history, geography, ethnic anthropology and economy has
been collected, organised and researched in nine provincial
museums. Other museums developed from private collections,
for example the pharmacy museum in Bressanone/Brixen,
the type writer museum in Parcines/Partschins near Merano/
Meran, and the women’s museum in Merano. The museums
have increased South Tyroleans’ awareness of their history
and opened new, scientific accesses to themes which before
had only been experienced emotionally. Recently the ‘Museum
Passeier’ in the Val Passiria/Passeiertal Valley has imposed distance. The museum commemorating Andreas Hofer – a hero
who led the Tyroleans in their revolt against the ungodly Napoleonic troops, though who some regard as a pawn in the hands
of the powerful who misjudged the signs of the time – shows
this historical event in a new light. Good Tyroleans, evil enemies: the events of 1809 no longer appear so clear-cut.
Fact box:
» Information on South Tyrol’s provincial museums at
www.museiprovinciali.it
» All South Tyrolean museums at a glance at
www.provincia.bz.it/guida-musei
A new dawn | 103
Messner Mountain Museum
Museum summit
Reinhold Messner likes life lived at the limits. He became the
first to climb all of the world’s 14 ‘eight-thousanders’ (summits exceeding 8,000 metres), crossed ice and sand deserts
and continued to reduce his equipment, all that should remain
was himself and nature and his own emotional rollercoaster.
Messner is extreme. In everything he says, in everything he
does. He calls his latest project his “15th eight-thousander”: an
ensemble of museums intended as a setting to experience the
mountains between conquest and culture. Four mountain museums – three in South Tyrol, one in the neighbouring province
of Belluno - each with a main theme: rock, ice, art and culture.
A fifth museum featuring mountain folk will open in Castel
Brunico/Schloss Bruneck Castle in 2010. The main centre of
the project is the MMM Firmiano/Firmian accommodated in
Castel Firmiano/Schloss Sigmundskron Castle to the south of
Bolzano. All museum exhibits – art works, mementos, relics
– are from Messner’s private collection. Messner has almost
reached his objective. Reached his objective? “The summit of
a mountain is only a turning point”, Messner once said. And so
we expect him to set off once again in search of a mountain.
Fact box:
» All five mountain museums at www.messner-mountain-museum.it
Reading recommendations:
» Messner, Reinhold, Free Spirit: A Climber's Life. Seattle, WA, USA:
Mountaineers’ Books.
» Messner, Reinhold (1998). The Crystal Horizon: Everest – The First Solo
Ascent. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers’ Books.
» Messner, Reinhold (1999). All Fourteen 8,000ers. Seattle, WA, USA:
Mountaineers Books.
» Messner, Reinhold (2000). My Quest for the Yeti: Confronting the
Himalayas' Deepest Mystery. New York, NY, USA: St. Martin's Press.
» Messner, Reinhold (2001). The Big Walls: From the North Face of the
Eiger to the South Face of Dhaulagiri. Seattle, WA, USA: Mountaineers’
Books.
» Messner, Reinhold; trans. by Tim Carruthers (2002). The Second Death
of George Mallory: The Enigma and Spirit of Mount Everest. New York,
NY, USA: St. Martin's Griffin
» Messner, Reinhold (2003). The Naked Mountain. Seattle, WA, USA:
Mountaineers’ Books.
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The mountain in a cultural context: Castel Firmiano/Sigmundskron Castle is the centre piece of Reinhold Messner’s Mountain Museum project
A new dawn | 105
106
Information on South Tyrol
What you need to know about South Tyrol
A round trip in 60 seconds
Area
Largest high meadow
A total of 7,400 km², only 8 % of which is habitable; 80 % of the area
is mountainous.
Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm (52 km2 = 8,000 football fields)
Climate
Adige/Etsch (153 km), Isarco/Eisack (95.5 km), Rienza/Rienz (80.9 km)
On average South Tyrol enjoys 300 sunny days per year. The vegetation ranges from palms and vineyards through broad-leaf and
coniferous forests up to the hostile high alpine environment of ice
and barren rock.
Inhabitants
500,000
Towns
Main rivers
Nature reserves
Scillar-Catinaccio/Schlern-Rosengarten, Gruppo di Tessa/Texelgruppe,
Puez-Odle/Puez-Geisler, Fanes-Senes-Braies/Prags, Monte Corno/
Trudner Horn, Dolomiti di Sesto/Sextner Dolomiten, Vedrette di
Ries-Aurina/Rieserferner-Ahrn, Parco nazionale dello Stelvio/Nationalpark Stilfser Joch
www.provinz.bz.it/naturparke
Bolzano/Bozen (capital), Merano/Meran, Bressanone/Brixen,
Brunico/Bruneck, Vipiteno/Sterzing, Laives/Leifers, Chiusa/Klausen,
Glorenza/Glurns
Art
Languages spoken
Education
German (70 %), Italian (26 %), Ladin (4 %)
Since 1998 young people have been studying at Europe’s first trilingual university in Bolzano, Bressanone and Brunico. Lectures, exams
and seminars take place in German, Italian and English.
History
At the end of the First World War, South Tyrol was given to the
Italian ally by the victorious side. Until that time, the region had
been part of Austria for over five centuries. The following years were
typically characterised by Mussolini’s policy of ‘Italianisation’.
German and Ladin speakers living in South Tyrol were given the
option to emigrate to Nazi Germany or remain in South Tyrol where
they would be required to integrate into Italian culture losing their
language and cultural heritage. The Second World War saw the region
witness numerous protests and tough political power struggles with
the government in Rome. South Tyrol’s autonomy is now regarded as
a model for minorities across Europe.
Highest mountain
Marienberg Abbey, St. Prokulus, Hocheppan: South Tyrol boasts
Europe’s greatest concentration of Romanesque frescoes.
Quality products
Apples
South Tyrol is the largest self-contained cultivation area in Europe,
which grows apples. Thanks to the ideal climatic conditions, more
than a dozen varieties are cultivated and are considered far more
flavoursome than apples grown in neighbouring regions.
Wine
South Tyrol’s wine production is a split of 52 % red wine and 48 %
white wine. One in ten award-winning Italian wines comes from
South Tyrol, one of the smallest wine-growing areas in Italy.
Cima Ortles/Ortler in Val Venosta/Vinschgau Valley(3,905 m)
Dolomites
The characteristic rock of the pale mountains is formed of fossilised
algae and coral reefs. In 2009 Unesco designated the Dolomites as a
world natural heritage property.
Dolomiti-Superski
With 1,200 kilometres of downhill runs the Dolomiti Superski association comprises the world’s largest area of interconnected ski resorts.
The Sella Ronda circuit takes skiers across four Dolomite passes
around the Sella massif.
Milk
South Tyrol has as many mountain farms as hotels. Dairy products
supplied by mountain farmers are guaranteed non-GM.
Speck
Speck or preserved meat was devised hundreds of years ago, out of
a necessity to preserve meat over the winter months. Today almost
every mountain farmer in South Tyrol still produces his own Speck.
Largest lake
Lago di Caldaro/Kalterer See lake (1.47 km2, warmest bathing lake in
the Alps)
Information on South Tyrol | 107
Scenic South Tyrol
Holiday areas
Val Venosta/Vinschgau
Bolzano/Bozen and surroundings
At 3,905 metres, the Cima Ortles/Ortler – South Tyrol’s highest mountain
– is regarded as one of the landmarks of the Val Venosta valley along
with the church spire in Lago di Resia/Reschensee lake. Orchards and
sloped vineyards dominate the landscape in the lower valley while in
higher areas, apricots, berries and vegetables are grown. Centuries’ old
irrigation channels, Alpine paths and mountain bike routes wind through
the cultural landscape, which is strewn with romantic chapels, medieval
castles and abbeys. The varied landscape has certainly had its effect on
its inhabitants, and natives of Val Venosta are renowned for being particularly creative and innovative. It is little wonder then, that most of South
Tyrol’s artists and architects come from the western half of the region.
Two cultures meet in Ötzi’s home town and there is a perfect merging
of distinct cultures and lifestyles between the 100,000 inhabitants.
The surrounding landscape and especially to the south of the capital
is typified by old wine-growing villages and sloping vineyards accommodating over 200 castles, palaces and ruins. Plateaus, mountain
villages and valleys perched at up to 1,550 metres invite visitors to
enjoy the light breezes during the summer. Southern South Tyrol is
the most Mediterranean region and its mild climate makes Lago di
Caldaro the warmest bathing lake in the Alps.
Information Val Venosta:
Area vacanze Val Venosta
Via Capuccini 10
I-39028 Silandro/Schlanders
phone: +39 0473 620 480
info@valvenosta-altoadige.info
Information Bolzano and surroundings:
Area vacanze Bolzano, Vigneti e Dolomiti/Südtirols Süden
Via Pillhof 1
I-39057 Frangarto/Frangart
phone: +39 0471 633 488
info@stradadelvino.info
www.stradadelvino.info
www.valvenosta-altoadige.info
Catinaccio/Rosengarten Latemar
Merano/Meran and surroundings
This is surely the most striking region of contrasts with palm and
olive trees in the valley and snow and ice on the surrounding peaks:
The stunning landscape surrounding Merano, which also captivated noneother than Empress Sisi. The town itself is just as full of
contrasts as the entire region: art nouveau architecture on one side
of the Passirio/Passer River, contemporary design on the other. The
surrounding villages have views of vineyards and orchards with
ridges and irrigation channels offering infinite hiking trails. An entirely different world is revealed within isolated valleys such as the Val
d’Ultimo/Ultental or Val Passiria/Passeiertal valley, with traditional
farms dotted around the landscape.
Information Merano and surroundings:
Area vacanze Merano e dintorni/Meraner Land
Via Palade 95
I-39012 Merano
phone: +39 0473 200 443
info@meranodintorni.com
www.meranodintorni.com
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Follow the trail of the Dwarf King Laurin and the Lago di Carezza/
Karersee lake nymphand on the way, experience more than 530 km
of marked hiking paths as they wind through the Rosengarten and
Latemar massifs, forming the densest network of paths in South
Tyrol. Small mountain villages with characteristic village centres skirted by hamlets and old farmhouses are starting-points for walks as
well as mountain hikes and climbing tours. Members of the Servite
Order still live in South Tyrol’s most important pilgrimage site, Maria
Weissenstein convent in Monte San Pietro/Petersberg.
Information Catinaccio Latemar:
Area vacanze Rosengarten Latemar
Ponte Nova di Sotto 9
I-39050 Ponte Nova/Birchabruck
phone: +39 0471 610 310
info@rosengarten-latemar.com
www.rosengarten-latemar.com
Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm
Ladin valleys
365 Alpine pastures, chalets and farms are scattered across an area
the size of 8,000 football pitches. The Alpe di Siusi is the largest
Alpine pasture in Europe and represents an enormous outdoor arena
for visitors of all ages. Even the villages of Castelrotto/Kastelruth,
Siusi/Seis and Fiè/Völs, a mere 30-minute drive from Bolzano and
Bressanone, are characterised by the prevailing agricultural landscape. There are twice as many farmers living here as proprietors and
the great feeling of pride and attachment to the region is displayed
both in everyday life and at traditional events such as the “Oswald
von Wolkenstein Ritt” riding spectacle or peasant weddings.
Ladin, the third language spoken in South Tyrol, is still spoken in two
valleys – Val Gardena/Gröden and Alta Badia. Linked by the Passo
Gardena/Grödnerjoch mountain pass, these two valleys are among
the best known Dolomite regions and are particularly popular thanks
to their impressive and legendary mountainous terrain. Hotels and
restaurants are the main source of income for this region and inhabitants are hard-working and very focused on the traditional way
of life. Val Gardena is typified for its ancient art of wood carving,
whilst Alta Badia is best known for its award winning restaurants.
The Ladin Museum in S. Martino in Badia/St. Martin in Thurn relates
the intricate story of the history and traditions of the Ladin people.
Information Alpe di Siusi:
Area vacanze Alpe di Siusi
Via del Paese 15
I-39050 Fiè allo Sciliar/Völs am Schlern
phone: +39 0471 704 122
info@alpedisiusi.info
www.alpedisiusi.info
Information Ladin valleys:
Area vacanze Val Gardena
Str. Dursan 80 c
I-39047 S. Christina
phone: +39 0471 777 777
info@valgardena.it
www.valgardena.it
Valle Isarco/Eisacktal
The valley south of the Brennero/Brenner pass owes its name to the
Isarco, South Tyrol’s second-longest river. As far back as the middle
ages, this area was used by kings, traders and merchants as a resting
place to recover from the strenuous journey towards the south. The
three small towns of Bressanone, Vipiteno and Chiusa with their
elegant shops, cultural treasures and cafés also originate from this
period. The steep slopes along the edge of the valley are particularly
conducive to growing apples, grapes and chestnuts. Chestnuts are
sampled during the period of “Törggelen” – a tradition of tasting
new wine in autumn. High-perched, hidden side valleys reveal small
villages with mountain backdrops.
Area vacanze Alta Badia
Col Alt 36
I-39033 Corvara
phone: +39 0471 836 176
info@altabadia.org
www.altabadia.org
Information Valle Isarco:
Area vacanze Valle Isarco
Bastioni Maggiori 26 a
I-39042 Bressanone
phone: +39 0472 802 232
info@valleisarco.info
www.valleisarco.info
Information on South Tyrol | 109
Eastern South Tyrol is home to the green Val Pusteria valley, which
stretches as far as East Tyrol in Austria. Small villages line the valley
with the lively town of Brunico/Bruneck at the upper end and expansive fields, woodlands and pastures, which roll into isolated side
valleys around the rest of the area. The Rienz/Rienza river divides
the area into the thickly-forested Alpine ridge to the north and the
pale Dolomites towards the south. The hiking area is distinguished by
easily-accessible mountain lakes such as Lago di Braies/Pragser Wildsee and peaks such as Tre Cime/Drei Zinnen peaks. The local dialect
is just as colourful as the landscape – making the local inhabitants
particularly endearing and charming.
ants are as original as the cultural landscape: rooted to the soil and
aware of traditions yet always forward looking and open to new experiences, which is illustrated by the diverse range of extreme sports
such as ice-climbing and rafting. The dialect here is more distinctive
and characteristic than anywhere else in South Tyrol.
Via Michael Pacher 11a
I-39031 Brunico
phone: +39 0474 555 447
info@plandecorones.com
www.tures-aurina.com
www.plandecorones.com
Piazza del Magistro 1
I-39038 San Candido/Innichen
phone: +39 0474 913 156
info@altapusteria.info
www.altapusteria.infoValli di Tures e Aurina valley lies on the southern face of the Zillertal Alps making it the most northern holiday
region in South Tyrol. Around 80 mountains of at least 3,000 metres
enclose a virginal natural landscape strewn with Alpine pastures,
mountain lakes,
waterfalls and the Vedrette di Ries-Aurina nature park. The inhabit-
110
Via Aurina 95
I-39030 Cadipietra/Steinhaus
phone: +39 0474 652 081
info@tures-aurina.com
What makes South Tyrol so unique
A selection of holiday tips
Dolomites
When the first explorers arrived in the Dolomites they found pinnacles and peaks of a kind never seen before: huge towers with
smooth walls, razor sharp edges, icy gullies and high ridges soaring
above scree and flowery alpine meadows. The Tre Cime di Lavaredo/
Drei Zinnen, the Odle/Geisler-Spitzen and the Catinaccio/Rosengarten are among the worlds most striking mountains. The Sella massif
encompasses three ski resorts and can be ‘circumskied’ with a single
ski pass. In 2009 UNESCO granted the Dolomites World Natural Heritage status. Following the Jungfrau-Aletsch-Bietschhorn and Monte
San Giorgio in Switzerland, the Pale Mountains are UNESCO’s third
World Natural Heritage in the Alps.
Castles and stately country houses
In the 13th century Tirolo/Tirol Castle sitting on the mountainside
above Meran gave its name to the old Province of Tyrol. For centuries
Tyrol’s history was closely connected with the castle. South Tyrol
boasts almost 800 castles, fortified country houses, manors and
ruins, a concentration unique in Europe. Today many of them accommodate museums, are venues for exhibitions or have become castle
hotels and restaurants.
Historical centres and smart shops
Labyrinthine streets, picturesque arcaded walkways, ancient walls
and bustling shopping streets: each town has its own atmosphere
and character. South Tyrol’s smallest town, Glorenza/Glurns with just
850 inhabitants, still has the most compete town wall in the entire
Alpine region. Pavement cafes in the piazza beckon with cappuccinos
and apple strudel after extensive shopping sessions in elegant shops
and traditional stores.
Ötzi, the Man from the Glacier
The 5,300 year-old mummy was found in a glacier above the Val
Senales/Schnalstal Valley in 1991 and can now be seen along with his
clothing, weapons and belongings in the Archaeological Museum in
Bolzano. He now attracts 250,000 visitors each year. The ArcheoParc
in the Val Senales Valley near Merano/Meran, in sight of the place
where Ötzi was discovered, acquaints visitors with life in the early
Bronze Age.
Tradition and a new dawn
Experience a village festival, march with the local music band, help
out on a mountain farmstead: tradition is still very much alive in
South Tyrol because past values are still very relevant. At the same
time the desire to move forward is strong and perceptible, recognisable in the contemporary style of buildings such as the Museion, the
museum for modern and contemporary art in Bolzano/Bozen.
Relax naturally
Alpine pampering: herbal steam baths, mugo pine saunas and hay
baths. Returning to your accommodation healthily tired, sauna treatments in South Tyrol revive body and soul ahead of an intensive day
of activity tomorrow.
Alpe di Siusi/Seiser Alm
Europe’s vastest expanse of Alpine pastureland straddling the
7,000 foot elevation line nestles beneath some of the most striking
Dolomite peaks. It is a favourite resort for the whole family both in
summer and winter offering ski runs for all levels, extensive crosscountry ski trails, myriad walking trails and chocolate-box Alpine
huts along the way offering delicious fare.
Trauttmansdorff Castle
An impressive botanical garden, a park with Alpine and exotic plants
and trees, water and terrace gardens, as well as the northernmost
palm trees on the southern side of the Alps. Its captivating scents
and tranquillity can be savoured from April to November.
Culinary delights
Whether you are at a rustic Alpine cabin or in an elegant gourmet
restaurant, South Tyrol’s cuisine combines delicious Alpine fare, and
the finest Italian culinary delights.
Linguistic wealth
70 per cent of South Tyrol’s inhabitants speak German as their
first language, while Italian is spoken for the most part in Bolzano,
Merano and in Bolzano’s commuter belt in Laives/Leifers and villages
to the south of the town. A saunter through Bolzano reveals most
clearly the transitions between Germanic and Italian life styles.
South Tyrol’s oldest language evolved from contact between the
native Rhaetian population and their Roman conquerors. Today
18,000 people in the Dolomite valleys of Val Gardena/Gröden and
Val Badia still speak Ladin as their first language.
Superb wines
Each year South Tyrol’s vinous delights are showered with top international awards. They mature deep in cellars beneath picturesque
wine manors amid the region’s magnificent vinescape, for example
along the wine route. They can be savoured directly at wine estates,
in wine bars or in their most rustic form in rural surroundings at
farmsteads in autumn during the annual ‘Törggelen’ tradition of
relishing traditional fare and new wine.
MMM – Messner Mountain Museum
Reinhold Messner has already opened four museums, each with its
own main theme: rock, ice, religion, art and culture. The fifth, due to
open in 2010, will be accommodated in Brunico/Bruneck Castle and
devoted to mountain people and societies. The heart of the project
is set up in Sigmundskron Castle near Bolzano, focusing on man’s
relationship with the mountains.
Information on South Tyrol | 111
What, where, how
Information & bookings
Holiday areas
For queries relating to accommodation,
bookings, recreational activities, events:
Südtirol Information
Valli di Tures e Aurina/
Tauferer Ahrntal
Piazza della Parrocchia, 11
Valle Isarco/
Eisacktal
I-39100 Bolzano
Plan de Corones/
Kronplatz
phone: +39 0471 999 999
info@suedtirol.info
www.suedtirol.info
Val Venosta/
Vinschgau
Alta Pusteria/
Hochpustertal
Meraner
Land
Val Gardena/
Gröden
Alpe di Siusi/
Seiser Alm
Bolzano
Vigneti e
Dolomiti
/
Südtirols
Süden
Alta
Badia
Rosengarten
Latemar
Getting there
» Val Venosta: www.valvenosta-altoadige.info
» Merano e dintorni: www.meranodintorni.com
» Bolzano, Vigneti e Dolomiti: www.stradadelvino.info
» Rosengarten Latemar: www.rosengarten-latemar.com
» Alpe di Siusi: www.alpedisiusi.info
» Val Gardena: www.valgardena.it
» Alta Badia: www.altabadia.org
» Plan de Corones: www.plandecorones.com
» Alta Pusteria: www.altapusteria.info
» Valle Isarco: www.valleisarco.info
» Valli di Tures e Aurina: www.tures-aurina.com
Route planner, train and bus timetables, airports, low-cost flights,
transfers: www.suedtirol.info/gettingthere
112
Accommodation
Car rental
There is an extensive data base comprising accommodation in South
Hertz – Bolzano
Tyrol including establishments that accept online reservations:
phone: +39 0471 254 266
» All accommodation: www.suedtirol.info
www.hertz.it
Holiday specialists:
Avis – Bolzano, Bressanone, Merano
» Farm holidays: www.redrooster.it
phone: +39 0471 212 560
» Belvita Alpine Wellness Hotels: www.belvita.it
www.avisautonoleggio.it
» Family hotels: www.familienhotels.com
» Activity hotels: www.vitalpina.info
Maggiore – Bolzano
» Camping sites: www.campingsouthtyrol.com
phone: +39 0471 971 531
» Mountain bike hotels: www.bike-holidays.com
www.maggiore.it
» Private accommodation: www.kleinundfein.org
» Youth hostels: www.jugendherberge.it
» Idyllic places: www.idyllicplaces.com
» Good and convenient: www.einfach-suedtirol.info
Bank holidays
» 1 January: New Year’s Day
» 6 January: Feast of the Epiphany
» March/April: Easter Sunday and Easter Monday
Weather
» 25 April: Liberation Day
Forecasts, mountain weather, pollen levels:
» 1 May: Labour Day
» May/June: Whit Sunday and Whit Monday
Meteological service
» 2 June: Republic Day
phone: +39 0471 271 177
» 15 August: Assumption Day (Ferragosto)
www.suedtirol.info/weather
» 1 November: All Saints’ Day
» 8 December: Feast of the Immaculate Conception
» 25/26 December: Christmas
Public transport
» Public transport: www.sii.bz.it
» Train from Bolzano to Malles/Mals: www.vinschgerbahn.it
Emergency numbers
» Mobilcard – a ticket for all public means of transport belonging to
Ambulance, doctor on call, mountain rescue: 118
South Tyrol Integrated Transport System: www.mobilcard.info
Carabinieri: 112
Police: 113
Information on South Tyrol | 113
Suggested readings
Landscapes of the Dolomites and Eastern South Tyrol
South Tyrol Insight Guide
A Countryside Guide
Dietrich Hollhuber
Sunflower Books 2005
Insight Guides
APA Publications
Mountain Huts in South Tyrol
Travellers Northern Italy
Thomas Cook
Mountain huts of the South Tyrolean Alpine Club “AVS”, the
Italian Alpine Club “CAI” and privately owned huts
Hans Kammerer
Tappeiner 2008
Short Walks in the Dolomites
40 selected Walks
Gillian Price
Cicerone Press
Walking in the Dolomites
28 multi-day routes
Gillian Price
Cicerone Press 2008
Via Ferratas of the Italian Dolomites: Vol. 1
North, Central and East
John Smith, Graham Fletcher
Cicerone Press
Trekking in the Dolomites
Dolomites Trekking – Av1 & Av2: Italy Trekking Guides
Henry Stedman
Trailblazer Publications 2005
Dolomites West and East
Selected climbs
Ron James
Alpine Club Guide Book
Our History: Südtirol/South Tyrol
1914-1992 in brief
Martha Stocker
Athesia 2007
Cleaver
A Novel
Tim Parks
Harvill Secker 2006
The Dolomites
Mountains of Coral
Andrea Innocenti/Michele Cecchi
Bonechi 2000
ALTO ADIGE MARKETING S.c.p.a
DESIGN:
inQuadro S.a.s., Bolzano
TEXT:
Gabriele Crepaz
PHOTOGRAPHY: Clemens Zahn, Thomas Grüner, Toni Stocker/Alpinschule Ortler, Helmuth Rier, Alessandro Trovati, Frieder Blickle, Max Lautenschläger, Andree Kaiser, Stefano Scatà, Freddy Planinschek,
Dolomiti Superski, Tourismusorganisationen Südtirol, Handelskammer Bozen, „100 Jahre Seilbahn Kohlern“ Kuratorium Technische Kulturgüter, Alexander Langer Archiv,
suedtirolfoto.com/Othmar Seehauser, Udo Bernhart
PRINTED BY:
ATHESIADRUCK Srl, Bolzano
114
Information on South Tyrol | 115
Gritty – that is a good word to describe South Tyrol.
The region is made of sturdy material, it has
structure. Rocks give it its form, quickly changing
varieties of stone from porphyry through marble
and granite to Dolomite define the landscape and
vegetation. The inhabitants have tilled the land with
their hands to make the cultivated land alternate
with stone, colour and vegetation. Nature and culture intermingle. People cling to tradition and custom. New projects are started.